Selection

These notes are copied from the RICHIES Vintage product guide.

The world's first 15 Litre premium winemaking kit containing 100% pure varietal grape juice and varietal concentrate.  This superb product combines simplicity and predictable results in a kit which yields wine of great flavour, aroma and complexity.  Expect deep, full-bodied wines which are ready in 6 to 8 weeks, but develop wonderfully with age.  All wines available in 30 bottle packs.

Wine Codes: Sweetness 0 - 10 (0 = driest, 10 = sweetest.)

The Aging of Selection Kit Wines

The aging period depends on many factors.   For example, using a long, high quality cork or adding some extra sulphite at bottling will extend the maximum age period. The general guideline for Selection wines is that Selection red wines are best after 3 to 6 months and should be consumed within 3 years.   The Selection white wines are best after 1 to 3 months and should be consumed within 2 years.

Storage

Storage plays a big role in the aging process and can make or break a finished wine.   Generally, white wines, sweet wines and champagne above all - are more frail than reds.   Grape varieties can also make a difference - for example, Cabernet Sauvignon wines are generally more resilient than Pinot Noirs.   However, always minimising the risks involved in bottle storage - heat, light, lack of humidity and constant movement - is the wisest plan.
Temperature
The ideal temperature is 7 to 13 degrees C (45 to 55 degrees F).   Wines can be stored up to 20 degrees C (68 degrees F), but note that wine matures much more rapidly at higher temperatures.   At lower temperatures, slower maturation allows more complexity to develop.   Constant temperature is the key - wide fluctuations should be avoided.
Light
Sunlight and ultraviolet light are as bad for wine as excessive heat, but are problems usually much easier to overcome.   Though most wines are protected by coloured glass bottles, place wines in areas away from light or cover them with a blanket.
Humidity
Some degree of humidity is beneficial to ensure that the exposed end of the cork does not dry out and allow in oxygen.   Thus, beware air conditioners that suck moisture out of the air.   Ideally, relative humidity should be between 60% and 75%.
Movement
Wine does not take well to constant movement and vibration (particularly if there is sediment present), thus a secure storage space is necessary.   Secure storage should also mean storing bottles horizontally, allowing constant contact of the wine with the cork and preventing it from drying out and letting air in.
Red Wine Kits
Australian Cabernet/Shiraz

Cabernet Sauvignon's structural intensity perfectly complements the ripe fruit and chocolate flavours of Shiraz.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

Barolo (Italian Red)

The Piedmont region of Italy is noted for its fine red wines.  This Italian Red is rich in flavour, deep in colour with a rounded oak aroma that is true to style.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

Cabernet/Merlot
This popular blend combines the plump, fruity, earlier aging Merlot with the robust Cabernet Sauvignon grape for a powerful match, with a deft touch of cedary oak..
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

Chianti Style

The pride of Italy's Tuscany region, this blend is famous for its full, dry character and elegant flavours of cherries and blackberries.  Sturdy and robust, with tangy undertones and a slight spiciness.  Aging uncovers its complex depth of flavour.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is now fleshy and expressive, a fine young wine of considerable style.  Ripe and fat yet form, with very good length on the palate.  Blackberry, blackcurrant and oak aromas stand out.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.
Chilean Merlot
Powerful fruit and spice flavour, with mellow tannins for a supple finish .   Deserves aging, but will develop quicker than Cabernet Sauvignon and will stand up to the same food paring.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

French Merlot

The plump, lush fruitiness of this respected grape translates into a wine which perfectly balances berry and spice flavours with a smooth, supple texture.  Mouth-filling and delicious.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

Italian Montepulciano

Montepulciano is a vigorous red grape widely planted in east-central Italy.  Deeply coloured rich red wines with blackberry and spicy, peppery qualities.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

Luna Rossa

Bold, robust and intense - a large red wine with the fullest of bodies.  Complex, with rich layers of fruit and solid supporting tannins, capped by a long oak finish.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

Pinot Noir

The varietal responsible for classic red burgundy.  The scent, flavour, body and texture of Pinot Noir are profound.  Supple, spicy fruit flavours are a delight to the palate.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

Rioja (Spanish Red)

About a dozen varieties of grape go into making Rioja.  A rich full-bodied wine, ideal for drinking young, but benefits from maturing.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

Vieux Chateau Du Roi
A Chateaneuf style wine - full-bodied with a deep colour, this wine is soft on the palate and quick to mature.   A wine with the complex character which we believe compares well with the classic wines of the Rhone valley.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.
White Wine Kits
Australian Semillon
Semillon's abundant flavours are brought to the fore in true Aussie fashion, with crisp, lush textured apricot-like character.   Creamy and seductive, this full-bodied wine has a wisp of smokey oak on the finish.
Sweetness = 0 to 2.   Oak Chips Included.
Chamblaise
A clean refreshing and crisp wine in the style of the French Chablis which is grown on limestone.   With its renowned taste, captured superbly by this wine.
Sweetness = 0.
Chardonnay/Semillon
The combination of two exceptional varieties with the oak additives gives a depth of complexity and character.   The dry, fruity bouquet is accented with a hint of oak.
Sweetness = 0.   Oak Chips Included.

Chilean Chardonnay

This wine offers good fruit weight overlaid with some attractive biscuity development, with great integration.   Fresh and well defined with bright Chardonnay fruit and light aromas.
Sweetness = 0.
Italian Pinot Grigio
The unique Italian version of the well known Pinot Gris grape, picked earlier in Italy than in other regions and well before its characteristic loss of acidity of ripening, for a bright, crisp, dry white wine with a gentle perfume and a detectable spiciness.   Fresh, fragrant and lively, its flavours include a certain flintiness with hints of citrus fruit and almonds.
Sweetness = 0.

Piesporter Style

This version of wines from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region captures the classic flavour and the magical fragrance of this respected German style wine.   Characterised by a vivid fruitiness with honey overtones.
Sweetness = 2.
Sauvignon Blanc
This wine develops a grassy bouquet and an interesting spice flavour which is quite tangy.
Sweetness = 0.