2 replies to this topic

[commander flatus]

I like a French style chardonnay, my mom and wife like more of the California style with more oak and malolactic fermentation. Can anyone recommend any good kits? I've seen a bunch advertised in the homebrew catalogs that look pretty good, but I'm wondering if anyone has experience. Thanks!Teddy

[Glacies]

In my experience, they will give you oak chips to get that oaky nature in a chardonnay depending on what kit you get. You can leave them out and get that steel fermented Chardonnay out of any kit I'd venture to guess.

[strangebrewer]

Sorry I missed this question, just saw it.I have not made but I have had the Wine Expert French Chardonnay. I'll admit that chardonnay is not my favorite style but I thought it was a good wine. I've also heard good things about the Wine Expert Sonoma dry creek chardonnay but again I've never made it myself.If oaky and buttery is what you are after then even with a kit wine I would suggest a technique called battonage. DO NOT PERFORM A MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION ON A KIT!! They are not designed for it and it WILL NOT come out good! Battonage will help give the wine a larger creamier mouth feel as to help keep the flavors on your pallate longer as well as soften up any rougher edges. Here's what you do:- Make the kit as usual and rack to secondary as directed- After the 10 days the kit suggets stop reading the instructions Instead add 1/4tsp KMETA and stir up the wine ensuring to get all of the sediment back into suspension but you do not want to splash it around.- Top up the wine with a decent bottle of commercial chardonnay and every 3-4 days go gently stir the yeast back up into suspension. Do this for about a month.- After a month let it settle out and rack it into a clear carboy and go back to paying attention to the directions where you left off.