Adding Sugar To A Sweet Reserve Wine Ingredient Kit

I usually use a wine sweetener or conditioner but with the kit I got today it has a sweet reserve bag, can I still use the conditioner or will this make it too sweet
Name: Al W.
State: KY
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Hello Al,
A sweet reserve is included when a wine ingredient kit is making a style of wine that is normally as some sweetness. In other words, when you buy this particular type of wine at the store it is known to have some sweetness and is expected to be as such. Examples of this would an Ice Wine or a German Gewurztraminer. Either of these may come with a sweet reserve pack, but the amount of sweetness added can very greatly.
The fact that the wine ingredient kit you have in front of you has a sweet reserve pack means that some sweetness will be added to the wine, but whether or not it is enough sweetness for your personal taste is another question.
I would suggest to you that you make the wine ingredient kit as directed. Follow the instructions that came with it step for step. When it comes time to bottle the wine, taste it and see what you think. Based on your own personal tastes, do you need to add more sugar to wine ingredient kit? You are the only one how can tell, because it’s all about making the wine the way you like it.
If you would like to make the wine sweeter it is just a simple matter of adding more sugar. It can be wine conditioner, or it can be cane or corn sugar. Whichever you choose, just remember that it should be in a simple syrup form before adding so that you are sure the sugar is dissolved and not just settling to the bottling of your fermenter.
You do not need to add anything else to guard against a re-fermentation. Wine ingredient kits that have a sweet reserve pack already come with ingredients for preventing this. If you followed the instructions it should already be in the wine.
I hope this information helps you out. Just be assured that there is absolutely nothing wrong with adding more sugar to a sweet reserve wine ingredient kit. Add sugar syrup to taste; it’s as simple as that!
Best Wishes,
Customer Service at E. C. Kraus
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Ed Kraus is a 3rd generation home brewer/winemaker and has been an owner of E. C. Kraus since 1999. He has been helping individuals make better wine and beer for over 25 years.