Commercial Wine vs Kit Wine

Making kit wines in Canada makes sense.  Our many levels of government love to tax the sales of commercial wines. therefore, a bottle of wine that costs $8 in the US will cost $12-$14 in Canada. A good kit wine will cost $4 or less per bottle to make.

Many people assume the difference between kit winemaking and commercial winemaking is due to raw materials, but this isn't so. Kit wines use the same grapes, juices and concentrates that large wineries use.

The difference between kit and commercial wines lies in the production schedule. Kit wines are designed for ease-of-use and sure-fire results every time.  This means getting them fermented quickly and bottled before air spoilage happens. Kit wines go from the box to the bottle in 8 weeks or less.

This shortened schedule does not make for a bad wine, some commercial wines are made on a similar schedule. The problem that happens is that with such a short schedule the kit wines need decent cavitation to dispel all the CO2 gas. Commercial wines rest in Oak barrels which over a year or two allow the gas to escape. Kit wines need the cavitation (stirring) to speed up the degassing process.

When planning your cellar you may buy a 4 week kit to get going but don't forget to buy a premium 6 or 8 week kit as well.  Let the premium kit age for a year and then try it.  You'll be surprised at the quality of the finished wine.

Kit wines taste great and save money as well.