I just saw your post now Stinky. Thanks for the wash combination. I'll be trying that then. Is BL added/required, or is it not worth it if going for a wine taste? I might start a new thread for this cheese.
A Cheese for you both for the help
If you use wine in the brine, you shouldn't need to add linens. You probably won't get a very bright red color at first, but it gets better after the first few cheeses. The point of the wine is to kill molds on the surface, 'cos there's alcohol in it, and then the moisture lets linens, which is not affected by the salt or the wine, thrive. I usually use white wine, which gives a more yellow color, but red wine works just as well. You'll probably end up with a more purply-blackish surface. The thread should be able to cover all you need on that.
I doubt you'll get too much wine flavor in this, more linens. Let me know.