1. What makes Vino Superiore better than other grape musts on the market?

In addition to being Certified Organic and a holder of the prestigious DOCG designation, Vino Superiore grapes have been nurtured in Italy by professional enologists. This ensures that each Vino Superiore grape must is grown to its fullest potential before being picked, frozen, and shipped to your door. This patented process gives you unparalleled taste and quality from one of the world’s oldest winemaking regions.

2. Where can I buy Vino Superiore products?

Vino Superiore products can be purchased online via our website, or through our national distributor, Keystone Homebrew Supply. To see if Vino Superiore is available at your local homebrew supply store, contact us.

3. What is the quality of these wine grapes?

The vineyards/grapes are certified organic DOCG from the heart of the Chianti district in Tuscany, Italy. This certification of quality is the highest level that Italian grapes and wine can receive by the Italian government. Our grapes are hand selected and harvested at the discretion of our certified Italian enologist (who is degreed by the University of Siena) at the peak of maturation. Upon harvesting, the grapes are put through a very gentle de-stemming and very rapidly frozen using our patent pending process to preserve all the critical characteristics of the grape so you receive them in a “just picked” state. They truly are superior wine grapes and we want to get them to you that way!

One other point to mention is that these same grapes come from vineyards that supply commercial Chianti labels that we can purchase here in the USA. Good wine is made on the vine, and if these grapes are good enough for them, they are good enough for you!

4. What does DOCG stand for?

The designation “DOCG” stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, the strictest and most prestigious designation of origin and quality for Italian wines.

5. What wines can I make with Vino Superiore grape musts?

With five varietals available in the collection, there are countless variations for you to explore. Some of our clients enjoy making everything from 100% Sangiovese wines to excellent Cabernet/Merlot blends, while others strive for the perfect Super Tuscan. Our enologists in Italy have listed a few of their favorites…

1. Traditional Chianti (Old Formula)

Sangiovese 80%-90%
Colorino 10%-5%
Trebbiano 10%-5%
Co-fermentation

2. Modern Chianti (New Style)

Sangiovese 80%-90%
Merlot 15%- 7%
Cabernet 5% -3%
Co-fermentation

3. Super Tuscan Blend

Sangiovese 10%-10%
Merlot 30%- 60%
Cabernet 60% -30%
Can either be co-fermented or blended

Check out the presentation from our head enologist on our website or twitter.

6. What was the 2011 vintage like?

It was very hot with little rain. The grapes are producing very big, bold wines. TA and pH numbers must be retested 4 days into fermentation as their initial numbers are not completely accurate. The hot harvest sometimes cause a phenomenon called heat shock by where the natural grape acids bind to the skin on the grape and it takes the production of alcohol to start releasing it into the must. Before adding any acid to the fermenter before starting, it is recommended by our enologist to start fermentation and then test after a couple of days. He recommends that you ferment this harvest at a minimum of 5 g/L TA. He used these grapes in Italy and after 4 days or so in fermentation, acid levels rose approximately 2 g/L and pH dropped into textbook ranges. If anyone has any question, please feel free to contact us or Jason at Keystone homebrew.

Check out our Enologists notes on the website for greater technical details about fermentation recommendation and the vintage details.

7. How can I become a distributor for Vino Superiore grapes?

Please contact us at the following details on the website to inquire or email us at:

distributor@vinosuperiore.com
Joe2@vinosuperiore.com
jasonh@keystonehomebrew.com

8. If I have questions, is there someone I can contact?

Like you, the Vino Superiore family is passionate about wine and the entire winemaking experience. Should you have a question at any time, our family will be happy to assist you. Our team includes commercial-certified enologists throughout US and Italy to assist with any questions you might have. For questions, visit the Contact Us page.

9. What are your prices?

Please click here to see the latest pricing.

10. How much must is filled in each pail?

The pails are filled with 19L of frozen must which equals just over 5 US gallons.

11. How much finished wine will one pail yield?

One bucket of must should yield on average approximately 3.0 to 3.5 gallons of finished wine. This is an approximation and depends on the technique of the wine maker.

12. Where can I find the Brix, Total Acidity, and pH measurement for my must?

Brix, Total Acidity, and pH measurements are provided on each bucket. You can also find these results on the Vino Superiore website.

13. Should I re-test the must for Brix, Total Acidity and pH?

Testing was done at the vineyard laboratories when the grapes were harvested. We do recommend though that your must be re-tested and adjusted, if need be, before fermentation begins.

14. How long should I wait to test the must?

We recommend that you test your must when it reaches approximately 55-60 degrees minimum. This would allow the natural acids and sugars to dissolve back into solution properly.

15. What level of crushing was performed on the grapes?

A very gentle crush was conducted upon the grapes. In each pail you should fine approximately 30% whole berries and remain berries are gently split. This process was chosen by our enologist as this is how he likes to make his wines for the commercial wineries that he works for which sell their labels here in the USA.

16. Do you have certificate of origin available for the grapes?

Yes, we have all the legal documents, including the certificate of origin and organic certification for these grapes. They would be available upon request. Please contact joe2@vinosuperiore.com for further information.

17. Can commercial wineries use these grapes?

Absolutely! If they are good enough for Italian certified commercial wineries, they are good enough for you! Contact Jason Harris at jasonh@keystonehomebrew.com or joe2@vinosuperiore.com.

Have a question that isn’t listed above? Click here to contact the Vino Superiore team.