Fontana French Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Kit 6 Gallon (Makes 30 Bottles) Review (2026)

Who should buy this Cabernet kit

This kit fits winemakers who already have a 6 gallon carboy or fermenter and bottling equipment on hand and are looking for a specific varietal ingredient kit rather than a full starter package. The French Cabernet Sauvignon profile targets fans of structured, age-worthy reds over lighter, fruitier styles, so it suits someone who has made simpler wine kits before and wants to step up to a more classic Bordeaux-style blend. Because the batch yields 30 bottles, it also fits winemakers planning ahead for cellaring, since this style is described as benefiting from time in the bottle rather than being an early-drinking wine meant for immediate consumption.

Flavor profile and what is included

The kit is described as showing blackcurrant character rather than cassis, with firm but not overly dry tannins and a subtle touch of mint, with small amounts of cabernet franc and merlot blended in alongside French oak influence to round out the cabernet sauvignon base. Ingredients include the wine base concentrate, brewer's yeast to start fermentation, bentonite for clarifying, plus sulphite, sorbate, chitosan and kieselsol for stabilizing and helping the wine drop bright before bottling. The finished wine sits in the 11 to 13 percent alcohol by volume range, typical for a full-bodied dry red. Equipment, bottles and labels are not included, so budget for those separately if you do not already own them.

Making the batch

After sanitizing your gear, you pitch the included yeast into the wine base to start primary fermentation, then rack to a carboy for secondary fermentation where the bentonite, chitosan and kieselsol work together to clear the wine of suspended particles. Sulphite and sorbate stabilize the batch before bottling so it does not referment or spoil once sealed. Because this is a French oak influenced Cabernet style aiming for structure and tannin, patience pays off more here than with a lighter varietal. Give the wine extra time in the bottle beyond the basic fermentation and clearing window before judging the final result, since bold reds like this typically soften and integrate with additional aging.

How it stacks up against similar kits

Against the ABC Crafted Series Washington Merlot kit, which is also a 6 gallon, 30 bottle ingredient kit, Fontana's Cabernet leans toward a firmer, more structured style rather than the softer, more approachable profile of a medium-bodied Merlot. Compared with Fontana's own Merlot ingredient kit, the Cabernet Sauvignon is the bolder, more tannic option of the two, better suited to drinkers who prefer a wine with more backbone. Winemakers who want full equipment bundled in rather than ingredients only should instead consider something like the Master Vintner Wine Making Starter Kit, which comes with the hardware needed to get started from zero.

Verdict and who should choose a different style

This kit is a good match for winemakers with equipment already on hand who want a structured, classic Cabernet Sauvignon profile and are willing to let the finished wine age before drinking. The blend of cabernet sauvignon with small amounts of franc and merlot, plus French oak character, gives it more complexity than a simple single-varietal kit. Buyers who want a lighter, faster-drinking red should look at the softer Merlot options from Fontana or ABC instead, and anyone without existing winemaking equipment should budget for a carboy, airlock, siphon and bottling supplies before starting, since none of that is included in this ingredient-only kit.

Frequently asked questions