Wine making kits?

[AndyL]

Ok, after getting back from vacation... I'm feeling ripped...

We've recently started making our own wine... Seems like with the exception of superstore/costco - pretty much all the kits run at least 50-60$ (yeah we're not wine snobs - usually the fruity arbour mist like stuff to keep the wife happy).

So we're at Lamberts pharmacy in invermere of all places... And they're selling the same kits for 30$ (apparently we got gouged - locals get em for 25$) that we buy for 60-65$?!?

So the real question is - is there a better priced place to get wine kits in calgary? Kinda disgusting to think I can buy the same kit in a BringCash pharmacy - for half the price of a calgary winemaking store...

[theken]

Nope. Your fucked either way. Unless you buy the grapes yourself and all the supplies

[AndyL]

Heh, monthly invermere runs just for wine making kits - bring back 4 and i'm still coming out ahead apparently :)

[revelations]

In the long run youre still saving far more money by making your own wine (assuming your consumption doesent go up) to worry about 20-30$.

:dunno:

[AndyL]

I have an ethical issue with it (sorry scottish heritage... I can't help it) - is markup on the kits that high? I know superstore's usually got them for ~40; costco gets them in 2 for 50 semi-regularly... But why a drug store in BC can sell them for half the local price???

[ExtraSlow]

BC may have some kind of different tax structure to support the vineries?

[r3ccOs]

from what I understand the biggest difference is whether the juice is concentrate or not...

neighbor buys the cheapo $30ish dollar kit from Costco, and does a good job, but does have to add bits of things here & there to get it proper.

Also apparently wine kit wine, doesn't last for more than a year

[AndyL]

Originally posted by r3ccOs

Also apparently wine kit wine, doesn't last for more than a year
That's totally wrong - we've got some going that instructions advise ageing for at minimum 12 months before consuming.

But the fruity arbour mist like stuff - those are generally meant to be consumed in short order...

--
I'd be surprised if the tax structure was different, the wine kits are basically considered juice from my understanding... And the kits aren't BC sourced (made in quebec) - so not really seeing a likely tax incentive. And BC doesn't give any tax incentives period :)

[atgilchrist]

The cost of living here just seems higher, showing in many, many ways. Including wine kits, apparently.

[AndyL]

Well perhaps getting away from kits is a good thing :)

Decided to take a go at doing it without... Yeah, this batch is going to be stupid expensive - I can tell now :) I'm about 14$ in to it now...

Skeeter Pee - Aka Hard Lemonaid...
http://www.skeeterpee.com/Skeeter_Pee/Welcome.html

I love the name :)

Not sure what's next, pondering a crabapple mead perhaps - looks like I'm going to have a huge haul of em off the trees out back anyway....

[thepyrofish]

Originally posted by AndyL
Well perhaps getting away from kits is a good thing :)

Decided to take a go at doing it without... Yeah, this batch is going to be stupid expensive - I can tell now :) I'm about 14$ in to it now...

Skeeter Pee - Aka Hard Lemonaid...
http://www.skeeterpee.com/Skeeter_Pee/Welcome.html

I love the name :)

Not sure what's next, pondering a crabapple mead perhaps - looks like I'm going to have a huge haul of em off the trees out back anyway....

Crabapple mead sounds like a good idea! I'm planning on raiding my dad's tree for a spiced apple mead this year. A lady I work with has a couple big buckets of wild honey she said she'd donate to my experimenting if she could taste the results.

Also hoping to make something with the grapes and chokecherries growing next door!

[teknical]

Picked up one of these while I was in Edmonton over the weekend (apparently they don't stock them here in Calgary)

http://www.homebeerwinecheese.com/crusher.jpg

chews up 2 cases of grapes in under 15 seconds :eek:

[AndyL]

MMMmmmm yeah that'd chew things up quick :)

Thinking about a strawberry wine today; skeeterpee is such an easy recipe - and it's brewing like a mofo now... Might be time for another safeway run :)

[AndyL]

Got the strawberry skeeter pee going... Lemon's hasn't really picked up and taken off like I expected - strawberry sure has... Put a heater coil on the primary see if that'll get'er ripping along better.

Decided I better figure out some labels (kits are nice in that way, just glue em on).

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i277/cgyreefer/skeeterpee2.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i277/cgyreefer/SSP.jpg