Life

Wine Lovers, Here's Everything You Need To Make Your Own Vino At Home

by Andrea Hannah
Amazon

There's nothing worse than reaching for another bottle of wine only to come up empty. Instead of panicking, your best bet is to invest in one of the best wine making kits that has essential tools you need for fermentation to keep your pantry stocked and ready for you.

Picking out a wine making kit can be intimidating. When searching for a kit, be sure that it contains at least one fermenter bottle or bucket. Those are key essentials in any excellent wine making kit, but your kit should also include at least a few different tools for stirring and siphoning. Bonus points if your kit also includes the additives needed to start the fermentation process, although you can also buy these separately if needed.

There are a lot of high-quality wine making kits out there, but before you splurge on a kit that churns out gallons of wine, consider how much wine you're planning to make. If you'd rather take it slow, a kit that makes small batches may be best so you can see if you enjoy the process before you go all-in.

Investing in a wine making kit is big leap, so you want to be sure you know exactly what you're getting. To help you get started, here's a round-up of some of the best wine making kits on the market.

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1Best Overall, All Things Considered

If you'd prefer to skip the guessing game, snag this comprehensive wine making kit that has everything you need to get started. For one, it includes two wide-mouth carboys (the bottles used for fermentation) that measure 6 gallons and 6.5 gallons and that do the job of creating your wine, but are way easier to clean than the traditional narrow-neck bottles. In fact, this kit includes tools to help you keep your bottles clean, including multiple scrub brushes, along with tons of corks for bottling and sharing your wine. The highlight of this kit, though, is in how well it lays out the instructions. It includes step-by-step instructions, visual aids, and even a hotline you can call with questions.

Both novices and wine making pros insist this kit couldn't make the process easier.

Helpful review: "I purchased this kit to make my great-great-grandmother's homemade country wine, for which she just used a ceramic crock and 5-gallon (food-grade) buckets to make. I couldn't be more pleased with the results. The only items it doesn't include are the wine bottles, fruits and/or juices, sugar and yeast for fermentation, but that is all you will need to supply yourself, outside of this kit, to make excellent homemade wine! I am one happy camper and will recommend this product to anyone."

2Runner-Up: This Starter Kit That's Great For Small Batches

This small batch kit is perfect for dipping your toes into the world of wine making. It comes with a one-gallon bucket for prepping and mixing your wine, plus a gallon-size fermentation carboy that you can easily seal off. This kit even includes all the yeast and additives you need for three full batches (a total of 15 gallons of wine), plus cleaning and sanitizing agents to use between batches. All you'll need to complete this kit is any fruit you're using, plus wine bottles, and corks if you decide you want to share with your friends.

Helpful review: "I bought this kit back in 2015, I'm still using it today. It's a great starter pack for anyway looking to try their hand at brewing/fermenting. This kit will get you started with your first gallon of whatever you choose to make; the recipe book and ingredients included are perfect for that. [All] of the original equipment is still functioning flawlessly. Well worth it."

3The Best, Equipment Not Included: ABC Crafted Series Wine Making Ingredient Pak

Once you have all the essentials, you may also want to grab one of these wine ingredient packs. Each pack comes with all of the ingredients you need to pour into your fermentor, including wine base, yeast, sulfates, and more. Each pack has enough of each ingredient to make a whopping six gallons of wine, so once you invest, you know you can fill up your pantry for awhile. This brand comes in a variety of flavors, including cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, malbec, and blush wines.

Helpful review: "I have been making this chardonnay for about 3 years and more than a dozen batches.My wife and brother-in-law are big chardonnay drinkers and they say that it is as good as any $15 to $20 bottle they can buy in the store. For the price you can't beat it."