Winexpert Private Reserve - Amarone (Veneto, Italy)

Premium Amarone Style Wine Kit with Grape Skins

Alright, so you're looking to make a seriously big, impressive red wine at home? This Amarone Style Wine Kit is one of the good ones, honestly. It gets you remarkably close to that intense, complex flavour profile you find in the real Italian stuff.

What really sets these premium kits apart is the inclusion of actual grape skins – they make a massive difference in the final colour, body, and tannin. If you've made a few basic kits and you're ready to step up your game for a bold red, this is a fantastic choice.

What This Kit Makes

You're going to end up with a deep, dark, ruby-red wine that’s properly full-bodied. Expect some pretty intense aromas and flavours – think dried cherries, maybe some fig or plum, often with hints of vanilla, spice, and maybe even a touch of dark chocolate from the oak.

It's definitely a dry red, but the fruitiness gives it a perceived richness. Thanks to those grape skins and the oak, it has a nice structure with smooth, velvety tannins and that characteristic warm finish. It’s the kind of wine you want to sip slowly, maybe with a hearty meal. It really evolves in the glass.

What You’ll Need to Make It

The kit itself comes with the high-quality juice concentrate, yeast, clarifying agents, oak, and that all-important grape skin pack. Plus instructions, of course. But, you *will* need the basic hardware. If you're new, a winemaking starter kit bundles most of it. Otherwise, make sure you have:

• A primary fermenter – needs to be at least 7.9 gallons (around 30 litres) for the skins.
• A secondary fermenter (carboy) – a 6-gallon (23 L) one is perfect.
• An airlock and bung.
• A siphon setup for transferring.
• A hydrometer and test jar – essential!
• Good quality no-rinse sanitizer.
• About 30 clean, empty 750ml wine bottles.
• Corks and a corker.

Kit Specifications

A Winemaker’s Tip

Okay, here’s a tip specifically for these grape skin kits: During that first week or so of really active fermentation, the skins float and form a 'cap'. Make sure you gently push that cap back down into the wine (called 'punching down') once or twice a day.

Use a long, sanitized spoon or paddle. This helps get all the colour, flavour, and tannin out of those skins and prevents nasty stuff from growing on an exposed dry cap. Don't skip this, it really helps the final wine!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this kit *really* take?

The actual winemaking process takes about 6 weeks before it's ready to bottle. But honestly? This style *needs* aging. Try to leave it in the bottle for at least 3-6 months before you start drinking it. A year would be even better if you have the patience! It smooths out and develops way more complexity.

Are the grape skins complicated to use?

Not at all! They usually come in a big mesh bag. You just sanitize the outside and plop it into your primary fermenter with the juice. The instructions walk you through it, but it's super simple. Just remember you need that slightly larger primary fermenter.

Is this *real* Amarone wine?

It's an "Amarone *style*" wine kit. Real Amarone della Valpolicella has specific regional rules (DOCG) in Italy, including using partially dried grapes. This kit uses high-quality concentrate and grape skins to mimic that rich, concentrated flavour profile very effectively. It gets you surprisingly close for a home kit!

Do I have to add the oak?

The oak is pretty important for achieving that classic Amarone style structure and flavour (think vanilla, spice). The kit is designed with that heavy oak component in mind. You *could* use less, but the wine might feel a bit unbalanced. If unsure, start with the recommended amount – you can always add more oak later if needed!