tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71257761962273703562024-02-17T18:52:42.003-05:00Backyard Vineyard & WineryHow to make quality wines from your own grapes grown in your own backyard vineyard. Even in a less than ideal climate, with a little determination and some hard work, you can have your own backyard vineyard and winery.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-83162576985034295552015-11-24T10:43:00.000-05:002015-11-24T10:46:19.717-05:00The Regent Grape; A very interesting video...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://a.msn.com/07/en-us/BB6Hg9j?ocid=st"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDJ2OPWU9UsoNu32R19tvO_cMJ_OyJqwGKNDJE-5D4SV1R9LoK_ZRn7tq6P_ftwQqIFROCdaQoAy-nGBYL73OFMtO7yhNpsscZ4YPGqK_wVd3wQn60MdzcpB6m-nLK2R2SzV7dFIo5RE/s320/Rhine+River+Valley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I found this <a href="http://a.msn.com/07/en-us/BB6Hg9j?ocid=st">video about the Regent Grape</a> that offers the viewpoint of a Regent producer in the beautiful Rhine River Valley of Germany.<br />
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It discusses large scale wine production with the Regent Grape but also highlights it's potential for making world class wines. I found it extremely interesting and encouraging. Enjoy!<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-63185867810929085932015-10-19T10:56:00.002-05:002016-07-20T23:03:52.997-05:00More About the Regent Winegrape...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngaJdDtBtfp3PwaU5hjtZ_km5ReNW4Zt0LO63wAABTF9svEG519eG7209IJPJ16O2r_P_FAmJQTMcZm9NO6NaOU2ACnfDpvLhZhk15Br9NILx_i6NjEng3COItfuHnIbyZbIseVkxu1M/s1600/regent+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngaJdDtBtfp3PwaU5hjtZ_km5ReNW4Zt0LO63wAABTF9svEG519eG7209IJPJ16O2r_P_FAmJQTMcZm9NO6NaOU2ACnfDpvLhZhk15Br9NILx_i6NjEng3COItfuHnIbyZbIseVkxu1M/s320/regent+3.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
I can still remember the old Paul Masson commercials where Orson Welles would sophisticatedly state in his sonorous voice "We will sell no wine before it's time." I can't help but think of that mantra as I write this post. It's one I've been wanting to write for a long time now. The only problem was, I needed time, time and experience growing the Regent grape and making wine with it. How else could I say anything worthwhile, helpful or even credible about something as biologically complex and sensually sophisticated as winegrapes. Not to mention the making of their luscious byproduct. Alas, I finally believe that I have that experience, and I would like to share it with you. Way back in January 2009, in this post: <b><a href="http://www.backyardvineyardandwinery.com/2009/01/regent-wine-grape.html">The Regent Winegrape</a></b><br />
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I detailed how I came to plant this obscure winegrape as well as some background information on it. I mentioned that at that time I was hard-pressed to find anything that would help me make an educated decision as to planting it in my vineyard or not. Not much has changed in that regard. Aside from a few bits of information here and there, you just can't find much to go on. After much consideration, I went with my "gut" and ordered the vines. I have been cultivating and making wine with the Regent winegrape now for six years! It's amazing how fast time flies. I just pressed my 5th vintage and it's finishing primary fermentation in glass. Was my "gut" right? I would have to respond with a resounding yes!<br />
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Let's get this out of the way first, Regent is not a perfect grape. It has some disadvantages. But for me in my cool-climate, USDA hardiness zone 5B, upstate New York vineyard, it has been excellent. It breaks bud later than many hybrids or Vinifera varieties, on average early to mid-May in my climate. Thus, it usually avoids spring frost damage. It is not overly vigorous and is maintains a relatively open canopy with an upright growth habit. That also facilitates VSP training, which I prefer. Regarding winter hardiness; this was one of my biggest concerns when I was deciding whether to plant Regent or not. I have not found much information on the Internet about this subject and I still don't. What I do find says that I should not be able to grow Regent in my climate in most years, ranking it's hardiness with most Vinifera varieties at about 0F to -6F. I believe there just isn't enough experience with the grape in cool to cold climates. That being said, here's what I can now tell you has been my actual experience over the past 6 winters with my 30 Regent vines. Below zero temperatures are an annual occurrence in my vineyard. The question is how low will it go? The potential exists on very rare occasions for winter lows as cold as -20 Fahrenheit. It hasn't happened in the 13 years I have been growing winegrapes. 0 to -10 Fahrenheit is more common. I have however, experienced -13 and -14 Fahrenheit on at least two established and recorded occasions with Regent. Both times Regent survived handily with absolutely no trunk damage. It has however suffered bud damage in both of those years. Those temperatures have reduced my crop by up to 60% in the worst year. I will add though, that in those years of reduced crop, I have had made some of the best wine from my Vineyard with Regent. Regent is a good producer and has consistently attained full maturity for me by the end of September. It has achieved sugar levels of 24 degrees Brix in 3 of the past 5 harvest seasons. The lowest Brix I have seen is 22.5 degrees. As far as acid is concerned, T.A. levels ranging from .4 to .6 are what I have seen. I have not had any PH problems, but you do need to keep an eye on it in very hot years. A few other observations I have noted are that the skin on the grapes is thin and with such nice sugar levels wasps love to bore into the grapes and eat them until they are just empty shells. Traps have helped minimize this for me. Also when the grapes need to hang longer in cooler years, they tend to being to fall off the bunches when very ripe. Not a huge problem, but worth mentioning. It has excellent disease resistance, with only a bit of Black Rot posing a problem in some years for me. All in all it has been very easy to grow in my vineyard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRImXAqhcakTkNK_RyLBx2w_oBxrkPzpcoR7qIDt77Mx4ounNO0ML4tUSuYecFulGjnSAVNyf1Au6Mbsby2BGNFkBLCiqhmYX3smLTwL0CGu4JBOX71yzropf6DcEYcTPQHDUWMkODZwE/s1600/regent+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRImXAqhcakTkNK_RyLBx2w_oBxrkPzpcoR7qIDt77Mx4ounNO0ML4tUSuYecFulGjnSAVNyf1Au6Mbsby2BGNFkBLCiqhmYX3smLTwL0CGu4JBOX71yzropf6DcEYcTPQHDUWMkODZwE/s320/regent+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The wines I have made with Regent are very dark, but not inky like many hybrids. It has strong cherry notes, also common of hybrids, but a very good tannin structure. The tannins are on the medium side. My best vintages have had notes of dark fruit, earth and even chocolate. They have been really good. Under-ripe, the grape produces a herbaceous and harsher wine with more of a sour cherry component. Over-ripe, the PH can get out of control and make a flabby wine with a black olive kind of flavor. It's not terrible, but I chose to blend it with a Noiret to balance it out just a bit that year. I'm still really learning how to best handle this grape in the winery, but so far I shoot for a Brix of about 23.5-24, T.A. of .5 and hopefully a PH of less than 3.6. I have tried different yeast strains such as Red Star Pasteur Red, Lalvin 71b-1122 (usually used for whites, but can be used to reduce acid in hybrids) as well as Lalvin Bourgovin RC-212. I have settled on the Lalvin Bourgovin so far. I always do a malolactic fermentation even in years of lower acid because it really adds a nice vanilla and caramel hint as well as a velvety feel to the wine. I would rather have those flavor components and adjust the acidity if I need to, so I feel it's a must do. Regent can handle a lot of oak and I always oak it. I have found it best to avoid toasted oak because it increases the black olive component to an unpleasant level, even when the grapes are not over-ripe. I like to macerate 3-5 days and absolutely no more. Err on the side of less. The less ripe, the fewer days on the skins. But still no more than 5 days even when perfectly ripe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMj6O4CH8GNg91In_2j9xaYRFfIZTinWs74gnCkeVr1XhsAHR9lOcnZgB2LiifXyCTseQ_oDj_IPTiul2XkfGO5BNsKCG3t42u0ZQ8_lSm3YoKUSaKynQN0vcGDRl4arsI1lXQn3NMWI/s1600/regent+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMj6O4CH8GNg91In_2j9xaYRFfIZTinWs74gnCkeVr1XhsAHR9lOcnZgB2LiifXyCTseQ_oDj_IPTiul2XkfGO5BNsKCG3t42u0ZQ8_lSm3YoKUSaKynQN0vcGDRl4arsI1lXQn3NMWI/s320/regent+5.JPG" width="240" /></a> I still don't think I have enough experience with Regent to have really dialed it in yet, but I'm determined to keep working with it until I find the right methodology. Of course, that will differ from vineyard to vineyard, climate to climate, and with personal taste. I am really pleased with where I'm headed with it though, and I feel the best has yet to come. A neighbor of mine who is an Italian immigrant, has also planted Regent after seeing my vines. He leans toward a more "traditional Italian" technique with natural fermentation, less emphasis on science, and even mixing grape varieties. However, he made a 50/50 blend of Regent which he grew, and Merlot grapes that he purchased from California. The resulting wine won 1st place at a local wine competition held at an Italian community center in 2014. It beat the 100% Merlot wine he also made that year from the same California grapes. I'm not sure what that means to those of us interested in growing and producing quality varietal wines, but I think it's a testament to Regent's potential and quality.<br />
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I can't help but wonder what Orson Welles might say if he were around to taste what I consider to be my best Regent vintage to date, from 2012? I'm not sure, but hopefully it would be something along the lines of; "It's almost time, You're getting there". But than again I've never tried Paul Masson wine. It seems like just a mass produced bulk wine. Was it even any good? I guess it's all a matter of personal opinion and taste.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-70282595995461002642010-03-17T22:36:00.002-05:002015-11-12T13:14:16.224-05:00Spring 2010 Winemaker ArticleJust in time for spring in the vineyard, I just completed another article for Winemaker Magazine. It's all about spring frost protection. Check it out in the latest issue or at www.winemakermag.com<br />
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New posts coming soon!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-67332907226130327332009-07-21T20:05:00.007-05:002015-11-12T13:12:43.978-05:00Winemaker Magazine ArticleI've been very remiss in updating the blog this summer, that will change soon. In the meantime I'm happy to say that I've written my first full-length article in Winemaker Magazine! Te article is entitled <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Ripening Techniques For Cool Climate Vineyards"</span> . You can find it in the August-September 2009 issue of Winemaker Magazine. Checkout the website at: <span style="font-weight: bold;">www.winemakermag.com</span><br />
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The vineyard this year has been a real challenge. We are experiencing what seems to be the worst summer weather we've had since I planted in 2001. Non-stop cloudy, cool and rainy weather here in the Northeast US. July has been terrible and I've been fending off downy mildew and rot all summer long. I've been trying to keep the canopy very thin but it's been difficult. I'm still keeping up hope for a hot sunny August and September. I hope your vintage is going well in your vineyard. I'll post some pictures and updates soon.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-23397328610450419022009-04-16T23:30:00.003-05:002009-04-16T23:39:46.277-05:00New Video: Grapevine Pruning II -Double GuyotI've finally finished the video on cane pruning. It's only about a year late. I actually planned on doing a cane pruning video first but the footage was lost somehow so I just put the spur pruning video out there anyway. So I hope you enjoy the video. It shows me cane-pruning two vines using the French Double Guyot method. As always comments and questions are welcome. Enjoy!<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:13px;"></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:'Courier New';font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:13px;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="437" height="370" id="viddler_Grapestompper_2"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="movie" value="http://www.viddler.com/player/f7b67a15/"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.viddler.com/player/f7b67a15/" wmode="transparent" width="320" height="266" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" name="viddler_Grapestompper_2"></embed></object></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-72766777540315371252009-01-20T13:44:00.007-05:002009-01-24T16:56:08.291-05:00The Regent Wine Grape<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePN3XZve1BOlnNsBLFKMYz8oIHbuqdQfooe7CseLC8tReQiVgYhmOGaYIsgPEgc9TEvJ_RWDg58rfqKNLbTEfPjkr07QZPwQVbA9-X_LugpAOWIuPJJPk1FvIZWEUAWWKeItYdfaNTuA/s1600-h/vacation+pictures+004.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePN3XZve1BOlnNsBLFKMYz8oIHbuqdQfooe7CseLC8tReQiVgYhmOGaYIsgPEgc9TEvJ_RWDg58rfqKNLbTEfPjkr07QZPwQVbA9-X_LugpAOWIuPJJPk1FvIZWEUAWWKeItYdfaNTuA/s200/vacation+pictures+004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294331441767324162" /></a><div>Four years ago I began searching for a red grape variety to replace the Frontenac vines in my vineyard. I had chosen Frontenac when I originally planted my vineyard along with three other varieties for trial. The reason I had decided on this University of Minnesota variety had to do with a lot of unknown variables. There was and is literally no one other than me who is growing fine wine grapes within a 50 mile radius of my house. Oh there are plenty of people growing grapes and making wine, but by and large they are Italian immigrants who have planted what would "grow with little effort" in the USDA zone 5b climate of New York State's Capital Region. That is to say, vitis labrusca grape varieties like Concord, Niagara and the like. They grow well, make delicious jelly, pies and juice, but terrible wine in my opinion. So when I planned my vineyard with nothing to go on, I had to take into consideration the all-time record low temperature of -28F and the more regularly occurring low of -10F. After a lot of research, Frontenac seemed to be a good choice. It is very hardy, to -30F or better. I also read many claims of very good "Pinot Noir like" wines being produced with it. I planted it figuring that it would guarantee me a crop despite winter lows and hey, if I could produce "Pinot Noir like" wine with it, I was all set.<br /></div><div><br /><br />As a grower, this is how you begin understand what that ambiguous French word "terroir" (pronounced "ter-wah") means. This word has been used to denote the special characteristics that geography has bestowed upon grapes. It can be very loosely translated as "a sense of place" which is embodied in certain qualities, and the sum of the effects that the local environment has had on the grapes which contributes to the quality and distinctiveness of the finished wine. In layman's terms: those Frontenac grapes did not like the <em>terroir</em> of my backyard. The vine was overly vigorous, prone to bunch stem necrosis (rot that killed the stems and prevented many grapes from ripening) and the wine was just plain bad. I made three vintages and it always tasted like funky, bitter grape juice with tongue-burning acidity. It was full of off-flavors and not pleasant at all. I know there are growers out there who are making pleasant wines with this grape even enjoying commercial success with it due to their terroir and wine making techniques, but not me. Thus began my quest for the perfect grape to replace it.<br /><br /><br />Replacing a variety is actually exciting when you have a bit of experience under your belt. You begin to imagine a new variety ripening perfectly and the wonderful wines you will make with it. As I searched around taking into consideration my climate, site and other factors, I narrowed it down to a few varieties. One of them I stumbled across was a German red variety called Regent. The information out there is scarce but it is described as being bred in 1967 by Professor Gerhardt Alleweldt at the Geilweirlerhof Institute for Grape Breeding in Germany. It is a cross of the vitis vinifera variety Diana (Silvaner x Muller-Thurgau) with the interspecific hybrid Chambourcin. Thus it is still considered an interspecific hybrid. Since it has such a great percentage of vitis vinifera in it's parentage though, in Germany it has been declared vitis vinifera. I read that it makes deeply colored wines with good tannins and red fruit components, as well as being able to handle oak well. The wines have been described as "Southern Rhone" in character. Possibly one of it's best qualities is that it is very resistant to fungal diseases. All of this sounded great so I began to search for Regent vines and Regent wines, to no avail. No one had the vines, and the wine!? Nowhere to be found in the U.S.A. They seem to be available in the UK but not here. I also couldn't find any information on it's hardiness, which was a concern to me.<br /><br />I finally got in contact with some growers who were familiar with it in some grape growing groups and found a source for the vines as well as "unofficial" claims of hardiness down to -14F. It seems to be gaining some popularity in the Puget Sound area of Washington. It appears there will even be a commercially available Regent this year from a Washington grower. Here in the Northeast I have yet to find anyone growing it amature or pro. I decided to give it a try and planted about 25 vines three years ago. I harvested my first small crop, eneough for a stand alone varietal this year. I'm going to give my assessment of the vine after three years of growing it (which is not a lot of experience) in Upstate New York:<br /><br />1. Regent has very controlled upright growth with low to moderate vigor. I have my vines grafted on 101-14 for my heavy soils and phylloxera resistance. It is easy to manage so far which is interesting because every other variety I grow is quite vigorous for me.<br /><br />2. It is very disease resistant, I spray it every other time I spray Cab Franc and Riesling and have had NO problems with disease.<br /><br />3. It ripens in early October for me, just after Marechal Foch and well before Cabernet Franc.<br /><br />4. So far I have had no winter damage on it with low temps around -5F. I hill up the graft union and blow as much snow as I can on them but no other protection.<br /><br />5. I harvested about a week before I would have liked to this year at 21 brix and 6.1 T.A. I would have liked to let the grapes hang to about 23brix but the bees were destroying my crop so I had to get them in.<br /><br />6. So far the wine seems good, but I'm thinking the extra week would have been beneficial. It has excellent color, an earthy nose with spicy hints. The flavor is a bit too young to judge yet but seems pleasant. I'll keep up posting on it as it develops.<br /><br />So did I make the right decision? I'll know in a few more years, but that's how you find the perfect grape. There are no shortcuts. I'm pleased so far but only time will tell. I hope this information helps others who may be interested in this grape. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have about it.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-22386960203877338772008-12-24T01:05:00.010-05:002008-12-24T01:23:45.446-05:00Vineyard in GlassHere are some pictures of my vineyard and surroundings after the recent ice storm that hit the Northeast US. The ice sure put a beautiful twist on things. Enjoy...<div><br /></div><div><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkTMZBVcyiF72-odtZ-gpM47FYYtJ6W0BpuxLQ7KcmPTy8MOfa3vjzpIkiHVnfFeURAfEscMx8hDKHWY5MNNJ79zWndn_nzBswSUshbh0t-SXux9nJ1lrfb1GWyjL1Ql2Pt4kOt5Zis4/s200/Picture+008.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283234923055288882" /><br /></div><div><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqW7ihUPU3aVPv17X3dIancTaHHTdj-CsDznfztzwf9KbUoTsJYe99ORu34tOiat2JT82TROpPlEQfbp2k1wIVt2cCE25y1OTQh9rxxouNKlJbYqAiJjznxOR2X3Hz8EXiqQH6phyFD9E/s200/Picture+001.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283235093457814066" /><br /></div><div><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQabF2yRvHcRbakbFJM9diXrNFPNryDExoKqbW_d2EyVe0NYm67ocQb75ChYp6uRFdl99enEfYrRQLgglEI337fJAx2k_BNzGC7dbnCZtQiiNgmBqoK4z1j9ES3VXc1cnxBq2LD2R5yG8/s200/Picture+010.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283235489019941170" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKP-mOOJkFB41gS63y55h-VZbWY2iXyyY2uKqPI2ZsEf3Zs-LqxhxddXy3QGeOzM39S6D7BcLaWZD5zMg2NWsIVALwQKjBiHn7HBrlxJy9ocLmYy-oZkhVXkZpfkHGqf74gpA_cL4XKM8/s200/Picture+009.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283235809626079554" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPsykRv6WRfv8bsgFIs3-ZESXbAeeRQ8xA3ntKfxyV6M8_Is3Uk0PgOXzlS-6f_aw6OqJbmixppIwyr0Jy-WjKv_rkDjTRUpQmKOosZbcF1N_dJvME5jAEIP058OBv06u9BsOlGcHFvg/s200/Picture+011.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283236007336039570" /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuCE_B-VH_p4d9tuLo6vIG0JNHRq8ndPSukURHWASf3nntw8LjPs_Y0qqjHWwy6S5mUWOmKJBW6LRWAeBBtTCu27xgl_OUrUhHlT4RoWrBmHgCaQ7BHI0zaiESdB4GWrb0ssmmajRWnQ/s200/Picture+012.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283236313202941154" /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-H2eAOUpUKIVRs9zu0ji7qOVkOdL8zI2iyuSQ9RY71DdM_umqG_intBRk2Cdq8b1r3fzeBzGtGsDTPouiEogGPAk6ELk2ZG2Ll6GiPgJT_pXldTwaV-sPmBlGXcnIsitHWp8Rpiu8w8/s200/Picture+005.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283236320232775746" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvXgBh5qwhKV5LIUj8Qp2CHwonNSUFNgIzVeHHq1Z5BsR1Yc_k0hG0I9bDmTuk5PsKtUvao6oERgjJXfSA6c_sAZ2cDEdj4JiNjKBtk1t06ZevASobogDeuMWhfm3ENwPpTj-sWtAhtA/s1600-h/Picture+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvXgBh5qwhKV5LIUj8Qp2CHwonNSUFNgIzVeHHq1Z5BsR1Yc_k0hG0I9bDmTuk5PsKtUvao6oERgjJXfSA6c_sAZ2cDEdj4JiNjKBtk1t06ZevASobogDeuMWhfm3ENwPpTj-sWtAhtA/s200/Picture+004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283236316502785202" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntrxYOqsp-XH1f6tXq9RGlJMPPoNDaxkwDsQnZ14ncdeTGSpoa3WHDxoB3LwdOkXIwjfBlx3C0cUdIzAeDo_mpdEmhjtJsxh-TjCWWmj_r3AammOUGPO3Hu8rKhHQlcldiHvrWSeFQY4/s1600-h/Picture+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntrxYOqsp-XH1f6tXq9RGlJMPPoNDaxkwDsQnZ14ncdeTGSpoa3WHDxoB3LwdOkXIwjfBlx3C0cUdIzAeDo_mpdEmhjtJsxh-TjCWWmj_r3AammOUGPO3Hu8rKhHQlcldiHvrWSeFQY4/s200/Picture+002.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283236305796375746" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-28419358175059576472008-12-15T23:33:00.019-05:002008-12-23T15:50:06.342-05:00Hilling Up The Vines and Winter Protection<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMNlV3658Nt2Q9EAHdXNdg-50lxvJFW0bLgYMKII2x-4MjL1eDlVDrwD1Y1Gf6WMbTNCItM1iJ9fJpHLSphDdeR2BtMOUdVm1RM4vk98yTpxaJ_unRLySJD0PjgHe861XYuQj4QdZI-g/s1600-h/IMG01202.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMNlV3658Nt2Q9EAHdXNdg-50lxvJFW0bLgYMKII2x-4MjL1eDlVDrwD1Y1Gf6WMbTNCItM1iJ9fJpHLSphDdeR2BtMOUdVm1RM4vk98yTpxaJ_unRLySJD0PjgHe861XYuQj4QdZI-g/s200/IMG01202.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283018164540743906" /></a><div>Growing vinifera wine grapes in the Northeast United States or any other cold-climate growing region, requires special effort. Vinifera grapes include the classic wine grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot and Riesling to name just a few. Many people feel that these grapes make the best wine, including me. They are however, very susceptible to disease and cold temperatures. Although cold tolerance varies from variety to variety, as a general rule if your winter temperatures flirt with anything below zero Fahrenheit, you will need to protect your vines for winter. If your temperatures regularly get below -15 F, you may not want to attempt to grow vinifera grapes and choose French-American hybrids or other Hybrid varieties of wine grapes. They don't make as high quality wines as vinifera(in my opinion), but some of them can and do make excellent wine. In my vineyard the risk for temperatures well below -15 F exists. Fortunately it doesn't happen with any regularity. As a matter of fact I cringe as I write this because I feel like I'm "due" for some very cold weather since it hasn't happened in a few years now. Since the risk of these low temperatures is there I have to take precautions to protect my vineyard if I want to produce grapes every year. </div><div><br /></div><div>The <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">first precaution</span></span> is the varieties I have chosen to grow. When I planted my vineyard eight years ago, I did a lot of research to try and determine what I could plant. I've detailed that research in previous posts like this one: </div><div> <a href="http://www.backyardvineyardandwinery.com/2008/01/2007-villa-ruzzo-cabernet-franc.html">http://www.backyardvineyardandwinery.com/2008/01/2007-villa-ruzzo-cabernet-franc.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>In my vineyard I have chosen to grow two vinifera varieties; Cabernet Franc and Riesling as well as two hybrid varieties; Marechal Foch and Regent. If I do experience very cold winter lows and it kills the buds on my vinifera, these two hybrids will likely survive and I won't go a vintage without making some "estate wine".</div><div><br /></div><div>The<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">second precaution</span></span> I take is protecting my my vines during winter. The vinifera varieties I've chosen to grow, Cabernet Franc and Riesling are the most hardy vinifera that I am aware of. They are both hardy to -5 F or a little colder and they will not be killed until the temperature drops below -16 F. Being "hardy" means that the temperature can drop to -5 F without the grower having to protect the vines in any way. Temperatures lower than that will begin to kill buds, wood and eventually the vine itself as it gets progressively colder. As the previous post I referred to details, I used to completely bury my vinifera vines each year. Burying vines will ensure their survival even in very cold climates where temperatures drop below what the vine can normally tolerate. It is also a lot of work! I would prune each vine to 4 or 5 canes in late November after thanksgiving. Then I'd bundle each vine using wire ties. I have my vines planted at about 45 degree angles using a "j" type training so that after bundling, I could carefully lay them down. I'd then dig a little trench so that the whole vine could lay flat on the ground. Then I would pin the vine to the ground using pins made from trellis wire. Next I would take dirt and mound up the graft union with about 4-6" of soil, burying the lower portion of the trunk and the graft union. After burying I would cover the whole vine with straw, canes and all. Like I said, it was a lot of work and I had to do that with more than 50 vines! Some vineyards in Minnesota do this for vineyards of thousands of vines, wow! It works though and it will protect your vines from winter injury if you want to grow vinifera in a cold climate.</div><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiCtBy4-7wn7jUmuDc1h1_mBqu3XcdB_XDwxBObDPG9RScKvZMSHeW2P_pwkPlZmsk9yjiowbbGiI1IgF3NFwBD1AGuvAIoqJmu94CuXcBV1y9oJIpwPJuajlBnB3zXCXGryoF5UMbl4/s200/IMG01203.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283019151756422674" /><div>I have since changed my methods to a simpler, albeit riskier method of winter protection called "hilling up". This is commonly used in places like the Finger Lakes of New York and some Mid-Atlantic state vineyards. It's easier because all you are doing is mounding soil up around the graft union or scion of the vine. By protecting this part of the vine, the grafted vinifera wood, you ensure that a new shoot will grow even if the rest of the vine is killed by cold temperatures. This method works if there are many years between extremely cold low temps like in my vineyard. The nice thing here is that even by hand it only takes a few minutes to hill up a single vine. I can hill up all my vines in an hour or two.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">third precaution</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </span>I take is growing multiple trunks. Again, a technique used in the Finger Lakes and other areas. By allowing a new shoot to grow from the base of the vine each year you are basically upping the chances that one of these trunks will survive if very cold temps do occur. I have also taken it a step further. The shoot that has grown during the previous growing season is still very thin and flexible in the fall. It is easy to bend it down to the ground, lay it flat and pin it in place. A shovel full of dirt or two and it's covered. This provides a little form of insurance so that if perhaps, the rest of the exposed parts of the vine are killed, I have some one year old buds that will produce at least a small crop. </div><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TQTlyeLsD3EpiKXaq8XekOnw8qnyLJP6a8R_w-ZF7edBf-QCaC9LQ3gPR3TnwAKKBkVaZB6MA4fTnBY1MWl7RFjbWHPleenbtWTsNsQt348Lri8lSdOiOB043de2VDO5Hivqu7giA_w/s200/Picture+032.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283019894643396290" /><div>The <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">fourth</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> precaution</span></span> I take is kind of site-specific. Since I have a small backyard vineyard and we generally receive a good amount of winter snow, I use it as insulation. By blowing as much of it as possible onto my vines, it acts as extra protection for the trunk and graft union. It rarely gets high enough to cover canes and cordons though, and you can't always count on it to be there when cold temps arrive, but it helps when it does come.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So there you have it, that's how we "crazy" cold-climate growers fight old man winter. I'm sure anyone in California or other moderate growing regions who reads this is probably very appreciative that they don't have to deal with this stuff. It does take a lot of effort but I think it makes you appreciate the finished product even more. I think of it like the rich kid who has everything "handed to him from daddy" versus the poor kid who has to fight and claw his way to success. Which one appreciates what he has more? I know that when I pour a glass of Villa Ruzzo Cab Franc or Riesling, I can taste the work, effort and love that went into making it along with delicious fruit, earth, pears, petrol, blue stone and vanilla oak. But who knows, maybe it's just in my mind. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-65214811146072211212008-11-15T23:04:00.004-05:002008-11-15T23:24:46.252-05:00Backyard Vineyard & Winery In Winemaker Magazine!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwA-5fRMcAWVRGeLalUIMXOFReT6mCU6yy5VnR8gtK2baERskkUmKqFLYxFI_UPiv7mFt5PgB2vu_gM2zff0Yy645-u1FXNdIHmQp9AhTn_RzEmObf6zTBCvUCqH1gKyNPMLwTMI5nVg/s1600-h/davenrich+article.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269101583142604802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 259px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 291px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwA-5fRMcAWVRGeLalUIMXOFReT6mCU6yy5VnR8gtK2baERskkUmKqFLYxFI_UPiv7mFt5PgB2vu_gM2zff0Yy645-u1FXNdIHmQp9AhTn_RzEmObf6zTBCvUCqH1gKyNPMLwTMI5nVg/s200/davenrich+article.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I'm very excited to announce that Backyard Vineyard & Winery is in the December 2008/January 2009 issue of Winemaker Magazine. I'm an avid reader of WInemaker and you'll find a link to it here in the "Helpful & Interesting Links" section.<br /><br />You'll notice right away that the introduction is lifted from the first post I ever made here. There's also a lot of other info too. The article is on the last page of the magazine in the "Dry Finish" feature. Hope you enjoy it!<br /><br />I will also be gettimg this years harvest details up soon as well as some pictures from the vineyard. Stay tuned....<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />(Click on article to enlarge)<div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-80760068728993802862008-10-23T13:48:00.001-05:002008-10-25T21:55:02.635-05:00Good Intentions Will Not Make Good Wine!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpn-T_ecY8ifFkJkIm7PTpMtQke_K39BVoXauTmzOM_dvRAO61zaItJWFCHF0hbuIYRFoW_AvO2vG2bb3v7Zi7RveesBlJvLur0YlAAKhtynyNILjX0_rt0lzBQD347IKkKL31ZoLu1E/s1600-h/Picture+026.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261290468281062450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 151px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpn-T_ecY8ifFkJkIm7PTpMtQke_K39BVoXauTmzOM_dvRAO61zaItJWFCHF0hbuIYRFoW_AvO2vG2bb3v7Zi7RveesBlJvLur0YlAAKhtynyNILjX0_rt0lzBQD347IKkKL31ZoLu1E/s200/Picture+026.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I began this year's growing season with good intentions, no, make that<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> great</span> intentions. Coming off 2007 which was the best year of my vineyard to date. It was a year with great weather producing fantastic grapes and thus wines with great potential. Needless to say, I was all geared up for a repeat performance and then it happened,...LIFE!<br /><br />Back in March I started planning and preparing for a 300 square foot addition to my house which of course includes a new 300 square foot wine cellar beneath it. Sounds great I know, but the problem is I am doing part of the work myself. I had to do the foundation/basement, the electrical wiring, the chimney/fireplace and the painting. When I planned all of this out back in March, it seemed very <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">feasible</span> and reasonable for me. Well it's almost done, two months behind schedule and a good few thousand over budget. To say that it has been tough would be an understatement. I know these types of projects never go as planned but I never though it would take up <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">all</span> of my spare time. Spare time that is usually set aside for my vineyard and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">winemaking</span>. I did the best I could under the circumstances to keep up with sprays and canopy management. The weather this year was a challenge with frost starting the year off and two damaging hail events (first time in 7 years!). All of this and a whole lot of rain in August caused me to almost write this years crop off as a loss.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Almost</span>, I said. I hung in there, never gave up and was rewarded with beautiful weather in September and October. The harvest numbers, while not coming in quite as nice as last year, were surprisingly good! I'll be posting info on each variety in the next week or so. Well, the addition is nearly done and I'm just so relieved to have the grapes in the cellar and processed. As a matter of fact I just crushed the final variety, Cabernet Franc, last night. Whew! I was amazed though at how many perfect clusters there were despite my negligence. I think maybe they knew what was happening and decided to help me out a bit. Thanks guys.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-86706590448110966282008-05-02T00:08:00.007-05:002008-05-06T23:25:40.739-05:00Warm Spring, Early Budbreak and...FROST!<div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH_3IrTpt7hOO5AJToaZmSq0eXAaj_u-GRa2J2LvX_dJ0F1zGMExWKzx2i7VgXjRMupzq51qxHqPndDJnMeoeXd8rD_Sk63K9coNPG9o97DskN9c_Cm8XcNlcPfK60eLitXpg6Y1zvVQ/s1600-h/prune2008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196728213840778850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH_3IrTpt7hOO5AJToaZmSq0eXAaj_u-GRa2J2LvX_dJ0F1zGMExWKzx2i7VgXjRMupzq51qxHqPndDJnMeoeXd8rD_Sk63K9coNPG9o97DskN9c_Cm8XcNlcPfK60eLitXpg6Y1zvVQ/s200/prune2008.jpg" border="0" /></a> Warm weather never seems to come fast enough in the vineyard. You finish pruning, get the vines tied, perform any needed trellis repairs and then it's all about waiting. It always seems like the warm weather will never come. It takes aboout a week of temperatures around 50-60F to bring on budbreak. It's like watching paint dry! This year there was no waiting, the warm weather came on quick. From around the 10th of April the daytime temperatures began rising into the mid 70's. Within a few days the low 80's were here, and it lasted more than two weeks straight. With temperatures running 15-20 degrees above normal, it was a beautiful start to the growing season.<br /><br />Nevertheless, I was concerned. You see, these warm temperatures brought budbreak to my vines a solid two weeks earlier than normal. Great you say? Well in some ways it is great, but in one particular way it's not. Around these parts, the average last frost is somewhere around May 5th-10th. What this all means is that as long as any threat of frost (temperatures below 32F) exists, any green growing tissue is at risk of being killed. The first things a grapevine bud produces is a couple of leaves and then this years fruit clusters, albeit embryonic. Now if those infantillic clusters are hit by frost, they will likely die and dramatically reduce or eliminate this years crop. So what do you do when early budbreak or late frosts threaten your vintage?<br /><br />In France they set out metal drums to burn fires in the vineyard all night long when frost threatens. In California, large fans which keep the cold air from settling in, are run through the night. Still other growers run sprinklers through the night causing water on the vines to freeze over the tender growth. That's what I do. Yes, you did read that correctly; to protect my grapevines from frost I coat them with a layer of ice. It works because as the water freezes it releases latent heat. Not much mind you, but enough to get traped between the green tissue and the ice and keep the vines protected as long as it doesn't get too cold (below 28F on average) or stay cold for too long (more than a few hours). I was surprised to learn that this would work, but I tried it and it has worked every time I've used it in the past 7 years. </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabRfsEeYvr7dcDiDijA7JcqLEey8kbNv4W_8pj040ESOb5HdUQ2TDCQhvMsfsa5Hgp4V65ZXxK5bfTdypkfcT_XTfx9l4Eq-1L1QH0rsiNTsIrLx-z0V03dJdyTMvwx6IOtJJ6m0b3zo/s1600-h/Picture+048.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197477591144650354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabRfsEeYvr7dcDiDijA7JcqLEey8kbNv4W_8pj040ESOb5HdUQ2TDCQhvMsfsa5Hgp4V65ZXxK5bfTdypkfcT_XTfx9l4Eq-1L1QH0rsiNTsIrLx-z0V03dJdyTMvwx6IOtJJ6m0b3zo/s200/Picture+048.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>This year's early budbreak put me in a frost threat situation last Wednesday, April 30th. So I set up my sprinklers and turned them on at about 11:30PM. It's always an anxious night with little sleep when there's af rost threat. I find myself getting up to look out at the vines and checking the temperature often. There have been a couple of nights over the years where I've run the sprinklers but the temperature never dropped below 32F. Not this time. By morning my vines were coated with a gleaming layer of ice. The vineyard looks so strange like this, almost eerie. Then all you can do is wait for the sun to melt the ice away and assess any frost damage. As usual, there was near none. Only a very few shoots were damaged and that's because the sprinklers didn't get them wet enough so ice could form on them. By far a successful frost intervention! </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2blFlUlXXl3WWELkfDWlRx6ohOfjVODuHNyZyVChXDPVWoJ-mTp2irVml2rmbHGwt4CmOThdMoEtvl4Uuo0Hgg4zKg0Che2yNftVUUz5T1yfXcfNXh0U0O5nrHouCaCfLQjNK9ZDW2w/s1600-h/Picture+043.jpg"></a> </div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2blFlUlXXl3WWELkfDWlRx6ohOfjVODuHNyZyVChXDPVWoJ-mTp2irVml2rmbHGwt4CmOThdMoEtvl4Uuo0Hgg4zKg0Che2yNftVUUz5T1yfXcfNXh0U0O5nrHouCaCfLQjNK9ZDW2w/s1600-h/Picture+043.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197480812370122370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2blFlUlXXl3WWELkfDWlRx6ohOfjVODuHNyZyVChXDPVWoJ-mTp2irVml2rmbHGwt4CmOThdMoEtvl4Uuo0Hgg4zKg0Che2yNftVUUz5T1yfXcfNXh0U0O5nrHouCaCfLQjNK9ZDW2w/s200/Picture+043.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2blFlUlXXl3WWELkfDWlRx6ohOfjVODuHNyZyVChXDPVWoJ-mTp2irVml2rmbHGwt4CmOThdMoEtvl4Uuo0Hgg4zKg0Che2yNftVUUz5T1yfXcfNXh0U0O5nrHouCaCfLQjNK9ZDW2w/s1600-h/Picture+043.jpg"></a></div><div>It might seem a bit too much stress and effort to the average person, but this is the norm for grape growers. Most people would think that I'm crazy to have chosen a hobby that involves challenges such as this, but I love it. When you work, worry and nurture your vines through a year and you see that crop hanging as it ripens, then you know why you do it. Then when harvest comes and you crush the grapes and taste the sweet, succulent juice that will become this years vintage, you even begin to look forward to the next growing season. Of all plants, only grapevines and their mysterious power over humans can coax such loving attention from us. It's really amazing that we do it, but we do. I guess it must have just a little something to do with the finished product, you think? </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-41474628989959592682008-04-11T09:50:00.011-05:002008-04-12T23:03:10.140-05:00Video -Grapevine Pruning #1 - Spur TrainingMy first attempt at a video about pruning grapevines is done! I'm still not happy with the quality, I enlisted a good friend, Robert Coffin to help me out and we realized that the right equipment is a must. We are now in the process of getting some video equipment that will make this much easier and increase the quality of the videos. (please forgive the creaks of the tripod)<br /><br /><strong>About the video:</strong><br /><br />In my vineyard I use two types of training/pruning methods: <strong>Double Guyot</strong>, which is cane pruning using a low wire and vertical shoot positioning and <strong>Low wire cordon training with spurs. </strong>This video covers the latter. I will be posting another video in a few days that covers the Double Guyot method which is the system I use on most of my vines. In the mean time I hope you enjoy this one. Pruning is something I look forward to every year. After a long winter it is the first time you get into the vineyard, the first sign of spring, and the beginning of a new, hopefully delicious, vintage! I look forward to your comments and/or discussion.<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="320" height="266" id="viddler"><param name="movie" value="http://www.viddler.com/player/3194e366/" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.viddler.com/player/3194e366/" width="320" height="266" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" name="viddler" ></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-2101456644549713072008-01-27T22:35:00.002-05:002021-10-07T13:23:06.383-05:00Wine & Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTLuGFJFsqCnTEd5iYLFQG42mQRDXHu3S1P7tRHSQr0ytuzt9to2qJkViRlsG1dsFiueHS214eR9aMmCrVzprlZvUYW2fKxpMV45zyw8CgGMcWLL8GpMXBJA_shdP9QvUis1iAMGe80A/s600/mc-shrimp-scampi-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="600" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTLuGFJFsqCnTEd5iYLFQG42mQRDXHu3S1P7tRHSQr0ytuzt9to2qJkViRlsG1dsFiueHS214eR9aMmCrVzprlZvUYW2fKxpMV45zyw8CgGMcWLL8GpMXBJA_shdP9QvUis1iAMGe80A/w200-h138/mc-shrimp-scampi-articleLarge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />I love wine with food. More and more Americans are discovering just how enjoyable combining wine and food is. While Europeans have know the pleasures of wine and food for centuries, it is a relatively new experience for we "New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Worlders</span>". In this regard, I have had the advantage of being of Italian descent, my paternal grandparents being Italian immigrants and my maternal great-grandparents likewise so. Thus, wine is something that was fairly common at the dinner table for me as a child. I cannot say however, that it was anything like you would find in Europe. Although my paternal grandfather made wine annually and drank it as you would find in Italy, my father did not follow suit. The product of a time in this country when being an Italian immigrant was not as glamorous as it may seem to me now, he and his siblings endeavored to be more "American" than Italian. He was much More likely to have enjoyed a beer with dinner or a ginger ale for that matter. My mother is another story. She has loved wine as long as I can remember. Well wine in the sense of fermented grapes. She enjoyed, and still enjoys the Italian homemade style wines. These wines are far from what you would consider "fine wine". The commercial equivalent of these are jug wines like Fortissimo or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Piasano</span>. While I can say that I cut my teeth on these wines, they are not what I strive to grow and make. I have become somewhat of the family wine snob, tasting my way through these jug wines on up to California <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Merlots</span> of the late 80's, later Cabernet's and eventually finding my palate planted in old world wines like Chianti, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Barolos</span>, Super-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Tuscans</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bordeauxs</span>. <div><div>
<div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fDKzfbV_RYFnYT05_G9s1yamxHCndKhv4QvfHABb8qVnJaZlWKGe1tfobxVk85VW3x1tik2ifYFwRqMpyYrgge1Npkx2LXgO4DzAK_BZyMmouNJj4spd0EMBAtwynEpoEcmuCdFkAzI/s1600-h/Picture+034.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160381264326520610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fDKzfbV_RYFnYT05_G9s1yamxHCndKhv4QvfHABb8qVnJaZlWKGe1tfobxVk85VW3x1tik2ifYFwRqMpyYrgge1Npkx2LXgO4DzAK_BZyMmouNJj4spd0EMBAtwynEpoEcmuCdFkAzI/s200/Picture+034.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> <div>My discoveries in fine wine also led me to enjoying wine and food pairings. I started with the usual Cabernet or Merlot with red meat. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Sauvignon</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Blanc</span> or Riesling with seafood. Chianti with pasta and Chardonnay with poultry. It has always amazed me the way wine can enhance, or be enhanced by different food pairings. Have you ever tried good dry, champagne and then taken a bite of a ripe, sweet strawberry and tasted the champagne again? You will be amazed at how the flavors compliment each other. I just can't seem to get enough of these pairings. I love them so much that I have, in my quest for deliciousness, begun to break the rules. What I mean is I now regularly fore go the usual wine and food pairings and try my own combinations. I might drink a Chianti with fettuccine <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">alfredo</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Viognier</span> with pasta and meat sauce. How about Zinfandel and seafood <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">fra</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">diavolo</span>. When I'm with "wine snob" friends or at "fancy" restaurants this often causes an eyebrow or two to raise. I might incur the ire of a "connoisseur" or other aficionado. You know what I say? Who really cares! I don't. I don't make or drink wine because I want to impress some self proclaimed Robert Parker. I drink it because I truly enjoy this wonderful and mysterious nectar of fermented grapes. I try it with foods that I love and if I find a pairing that isn't status <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">quo</span> then I guess I'm a pioneer. This is why I make wine. My wife loves to cook and experiment with recipes. I love the excitement of coming home and finding her cooking a delicious meal. It is so nice going down to my cellar and having enough different wines so I can try and pick one that will be the perfect compliment to her meal. </div>
<div></div>
<div>Hence the beauty of wine and food pairings. There is just so much variety. Don't get me wrong, I love Riesling and seafood. It's just that in my mind there are endless possibilities when it comes to pairings. You could think of a new one every day of your life. Some won't work and some will be amazing. I just hope I live long enough to experience as many different combinations of wine and food as possible. I guess I'll have to live forever.</div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-11158077568860414512008-01-16T21:17:00.000-05:002008-01-18T12:48:20.208-05:00Winetasting -The Other Part of Winemaking<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_64Ss11QGrl82GH2BhlzB3VFKy0_FyPBDFMXzZsftBF5TdHX6PD8qiROoQP4Agm21mL1xyBL1bWOr1lF6fmr355Opjp6aVUOrlCfdiWxzXgUECOMayHOSDjqgBjNlkMgzAHq7OVfHIk/s1600-h/Picture.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156675081836727794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_64Ss11QGrl82GH2BhlzB3VFKy0_FyPBDFMXzZsftBF5TdHX6PD8qiROoQP4Agm21mL1xyBL1bWOr1lF6fmr355Opjp6aVUOrlCfdiWxzXgUECOMayHOSDjqgBjNlkMgzAHq7OVfHIk/s200/Picture.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span>The essence of cherry and Chocolate. Red fruit, currants and cigar box. Strawberries and cream, oaky vanilla and luscious earthy notes. The intriguing, exotic flavors and aromas of wine have mesmerized mankind as long as history has been recorded. Wine is, without question one of the oldest beverages known to man. But more than that it is one of the oldest pleasures known to man. The bible is filled with references to it and mythology is littered with it; wine. It's the reason so many precious acres of this planet are devoted to growing grapevines instead of staple crops. The love of wine seems quite universal in nature and there are no signs of that trend changing.<br /><br /><br />Winter is the perfect time for grapegrowers and winemakers alike, to taste their wines. The vineyard is dormant and the new wines are safe in barrels or secondary fermenters. Some pruning is going on in milder climates, but much of that will wait until more hospitable temperatures arrive. For some reason the cold quiet of January and February in the Northeast provides a seemingly ideal backdrop for tasting your wines. In the cellar the cold temperatures really contribute settling the wines down. The cold temperatures cause suspended solids left from fermentation to precipitate. The wine begins to clear brilliantly. It's at this time of year you can really get an idea of what this year's wines, though still in their infancy, will become. What brings even greater pleasure to me at this time of year is tasting wines nearing release. Most full-bodied wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc (which I grow and make) need to age nearly two years before they really become approachable. It takes that long for tannins to soften, aromas to mature and flavor components to develop. That's why when you go to the store to purchase wine you'll rarely see a red wine that's for sale with a vintage date less than two years previous. There are some, but not many younger than that.<br /><br />When it comes to wines you've made, you already know how they're doing. You've been tasting them all throughout the winemaking process. You know which of your wines are flawed and you are exited about those that hold promise. Even wines that seem less than pleasing are hard to give up on when you've grown the grapes yourself and turned them into wine. You keep hoping that someday you'll taste them and magically they will have turned the corner toward deliciousness. This can happen in some cases. For example, if a wine is otherwise good but overly tannic or just a bit too acidic, these characteristics will soften over time and the wine may become outstanding. But a wine that is made from underripe or otherwise flawed grapes, will never lose it's undesirable characteristics. You have to let go at some point and accept it, no matter how hard it may be. I can testify to the pain of pouring a 5 gallon carboy of wine that you have invested one year to grow, and two years to make, down the drain. It's a good thing there was a good glass of wine nearby to help me through it. Sadly this has happened more than once in my winemaking career. The bright side of this is that your knowledge of how to make good wine grows from experiences like these. So I don't really view them as failures.<br /><br />What makes it all worth it are the good ones. When you draw some wine from a carboy full that has been developing nicely, to taste. You swirl it in the glass to get some air into it and hold it up to the light. Lovely color, deep red and great legs. You raise it up and draw in a deep breath. Currants, rich oak and earthiness flood your senses. If it tastes anything like the nose, this will be your best ever. You take a sip and it covers your tongue like silk. Fruitiness, black pepper and structured tannins fill your mouth. That's it. This is the best wine you've ever made. This is why you do it, why you work so hard in the vineyard and why you sacrifice your relaxation time to make wine. For all those people who think you're crazy for doing it, wait till they taste this... yes, then you'll finally get some objective opinions. But hey, you like it. So who cares what anyone else thinks, Right?<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ffff00;"></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-42019325266019635672008-01-14T15:50:00.000-05:002008-01-14T20:51:04.962-05:00The Winter Doldrums<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWjONfJ2OTO3hQXlbIU6vfNYQv8YdKD0ixVFy0wELMTipgr0DOvsAQ6h8RzfIHYzNhDAQ_DCgTbBag5yJWC5de-QjCb4V0ILZ0zikOSVfwy98ENX7AxUC7qvAOQ3nAu-HvsA4a8D6AhQ/s1600-h/IMG00536.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155468123012107650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWjONfJ2OTO3hQXlbIU6vfNYQv8YdKD0ixVFy0wELMTipgr0DOvsAQ6h8RzfIHYzNhDAQ_DCgTbBag5yJWC5de-QjCb4V0ILZ0zikOSVfwy98ENX7AxUC7qvAOQ3nAu-HvsA4a8D6AhQ/s200/IMG00536.jpg" border="0" /></a> As far as the vineyard is concerned, winter in the Northeast is a time of inactivity. In the wine cellar it's a completely different story. Harvest in my vineyard starts in late September and runs through the beginning of November depending on the variety. This time period brings to an end the constant vigilance of the growing season but mobilizes the time sensitive, whirlwind of winemaking itself. It's absolutely critical to get the perfecly ripened grapes that you've patiently labored over all season long, crushed and turned into wine as quickly as possible. So from the day of harvest for each variety, your goal is to crush that fruit immediately after picking. The sooner you turn those grapes into must, the less chance they have to degrade or be affected by spoilage organisms and the like. I crush within an hour of completing harvest of any particular variety. Once you have the grapes crushed and in the primary fermentation vats covered, then begins the huge task of cleaning up your equipment and the winemaking area. This is vital to prevent organisms like acetobacter or brettanomyces from invading your cellar to infect your wine, tainting it with vinegar or "barnyard" aromas and tastes. Now you can breathe for a moment. Eveything is clean, the wine is safe and protected from the air. You've given it a dose of postassium metabisulfite (sulfer) to kill of the wild yeasts and you've covered the wine with CO2 to protect it from oxidation.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCFVG6hPJ_qtODXtQXmU7EADFyWbJFxDVfatNVKyEXhmOuOmI5iFrLIyrYmLL55PD5o-jDPeOhWm0GWMtBv22bGnr5cI1mQXafZoFw3eECsEBnUp-OIa1AABpJ3VNXdeg4MRwtO7ifbk/s1600-h/180px-Red_wine_cap.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155468625523281314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCFVG6hPJ_qtODXtQXmU7EADFyWbJFxDVfatNVKyEXhmOuOmI5iFrLIyrYmLL55PD5o-jDPeOhWm0GWMtBv22bGnr5cI1mQXafZoFw3eECsEBnUp-OIa1AABpJ3VNXdeg4MRwtO7ifbk/s200/180px-Red_wine_cap.jpg" border="0" /></a> 24 hours later you will add your cultured wine yeast and within a day or so primary fermentaion begins and your grape juice is on its way to becoming wine. The fermentaion vats begin to foam and froth from CO2 produced by the happy yeast feasting on the sugar in the grapes and converting it into alcohol. Now you have another job to do if your making a red wine. It's called "punching down the cap". This is the act of pushing the red grape skins, which have floated up to the top of the vat, back down into the fermenting juice to extract color, tannins and other flavor components from them. This should be done at least three times a day. This is one of my favorite times of the year because the whole winemaking area is filled with the warm, sweet smells of grapes and yeast together. It's a delightful aroma. When the fermentation starts to slow down after anywhere from 5-15 days you have to watch the wine carefully. Up until now the CO2 that has been produced by the yeast has kept the wine protected from air and the molds and spoilage bacteria it contains. Now, as fermentation slows down there is less CO2 and thus less protection. So if you're going to let the maceration continue, you'll have to add CO2 again yourself.<br /><br /><br />Now you have to gear up for work again, it's time to press the wine. You set up your press and secondary fermentation containers such as glass carboys. Pressing you also want to do as expeditiously as possible so as to again, minimize the new wine's exposure to air. You drain off the free run juice that is easily poured from the skins. Then you scoop or pour the remaing skins and juice into the press basket and extract the rest of the wine from it. Now you have glass carboys filled with new wine. You have to top them up leaving not more than an inch of airspace, and then place a fermentation lock in the opening. This will let CO2 out, but no air in. Clean up again, wash and sanitize your equipment, and it's time to open a good bottle and remind yourself why you've done all this work. Your young wine is safely tucked away in a corner of your cellar slowly tranforming itself into something you'll be proud of, hopefully, and you can take a breather now. Really it's the first time you can relax and not worry about your grapes since budbreak. It's a wonderful feeling. Just don't get too comfortable, you've got three more varieties to harvest! Then there's raking, fining and oaking. Suddenly it's mid January, how'd that happen? Ah, but never fear, the winter doldrums will soon be here.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-55324886802950662472008-01-12T23:53:00.000-05:002008-01-13T00:16:28.659-05:00A walk Through the VineyardHere again is some video from 2004. It is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">footage</span> of my vineyard in mid <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">September</span> as the grapes began approaching ripeness. My vineyard has changed a lot since then as I've detailed in my posts. I have removed varieties and replanted with others. I've also learned a great deal since then and it's reflected in how I mange my vines now and how I did back then. My video skills need some work and I think a better camera is in order, but you'll at least get a feel for the layout of my vines. I will film an updated "vineyard tour" this summer and post that as well for comparison.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy this little walk through my vineyard. The varieties you'll see growing are Cabernet Franc, Marechal Foch, Frontenac and Riesling.<br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx2Cu5P4iIZmIvhwJc0034wcQRBVgNe3CVvnN0mzL9Gd0QDBwyiLHrxCICyu7m4tbeu_lAsRsi0VrcAFuvgCA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-4504793168108584922008-01-11T01:11:00.000-05:002008-01-12T19:56:27.866-05:00Winemaking VideosI thought I would try something different. I have been wanting to include video of my vineyard and some of the techniques I use to grow grapes and make wine. To get started with it I experimented with some video of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">winemaking</span> from back in 2004. My friend Rich <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Schell</span> and I make wine together every year. Before planting my vineyard in 2001 we purchased all of our grapes from a local importer of California grapes. We still purchase some every year but now we also have our "estate grown" grapes from Villa <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ruzzo</span> Vineyards, my backyard of course.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwfgxPDNlpvVc5hifhwFb4ot3xMw3Coyye3QVekViZKsWpY33bjr31DK94zzeF91_BwOHhzXKlWCOWgBw3mYw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />In the video I've uploaded from 2004, we are making Zinfandel. We bought 288lbs(8 crates ) of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Zin</span> and went to town. In the video you'll see the old Italian way of crushing the grapes. We've since gone hi-tech, but that was a lot of fun. If this "test" video uploads and works, I'll put something together with video of my vineyard. This one is rough and it's a little dark. At the time we filmed it we weren't thinking about adding it to a blog. We just wanted to have some video of our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">winemaking</span> to look back on and laugh. So please forgive the poor quality. What I'd really like to do in the near future, is make videos by subject and upload them. The first one will be on pruning and I plan on completing it in the spring of 2008 and then I'll upload it. I'm very much an amateur at making these videos and editing them . I'm sure I'll get better along the way but "you gotta start somewhere" right? Hope you enjoy it!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-18521543849287310852008-01-09T23:21:00.000-05:002008-01-10T17:52:36.834-05:002007 Villa Ruzzo Riesling<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQe4ff5u6nYCVnkK71SkD6AaMKnkFIBPRE0Em2Y4OW61G7kiDrLtIT-3s7psM_hoBEEnAcMacYrlHHpnDK2C3navrqpbYiKNO2W2X_jbwBVwxOLMsLWzQdFLUulUOMlehwULk0nuMfXI/s1600-h/Picture+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153709351084264802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQe4ff5u6nYCVnkK71SkD6AaMKnkFIBPRE0Em2Y4OW61G7kiDrLtIT-3s7psM_hoBEEnAcMacYrlHHpnDK2C3navrqpbYiKNO2W2X_jbwBVwxOLMsLWzQdFLUulUOMlehwULk0nuMfXI/s200/Picture+013.jpg" border="0" /></a> I really love red wine, but I love white wine too. After the first few successful years of my vineyard and in particular my Cabernet Franc vines, I realized it was time to expand and plant some white wine grapes. I was again faced with the dilemma of deciding which variety. I tasted through a whole bunch of French-American hybrids like Vignoles, Seyvel Blanc, Aurore, Vidal and the like. I've always liked these hybrids. As a matter of fact the White hybrids are excellent and compare well with white viniferas. But since I had some success with Cab Franc I checked on the cold hardiness and growth characteristics of some white vinifera varieties. The ones that seemed to hold promise were Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and, to my surprise, Riesling. I say this because I didn't want to grow Chardonnay. I just don't like it well enough and I would have chosen Vidal Blanc or Vignoles instead. Pinot Blanc was a possibility but Riesling... now Riesling has always held my interest of all the white wines I've ever tasted. It's steely acidity, hints of tropical fruits, green apple and the haunting aroma of petrol. I love it! If I could grow it in my backyard...no way! I did some more research and was thrilled to find out it is the hardiest vinifera white, hardy to nearly -10F and it can survive down to almost -16F. The most encouraging news was though, that some of the world's best Rieslings are being grown just 200 miles or so from my house in the Finger Lakes. And the variety ripens earlier than Cab Franc.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2ZOukZl929gElPNMJj3qVk3MtIqAiwa5aswWYrld6fcWq8sekuo49Pk2fQXF1uuZiw75VQ38FwNVrivIA9vksxjxJLZ3JlhBcySAZHWcINsglyEvO0mfCOl_4IHzTWGKH4769GA95cw/s1600-h/Picture+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153709613077269874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2ZOukZl929gElPNMJj3qVk3MtIqAiwa5aswWYrld6fcWq8sekuo49Pk2fQXF1uuZiw75VQ38FwNVrivIA9vksxjxJLZ3JlhBcySAZHWcINsglyEvO0mfCOl_4IHzTWGKH4769GA95cw/s200/Picture+012.jpg" border="0" /></a> That was it, Riesling it was. I planted 10 vines just to make a few gallons and it has been the easiest grape to grow and make wine with. It seems no matter what the weather is or what the numbers come in at, the wine is always good. The exciting thing is, just like the other varieties, I think this year's fruit gives me a shot at not just good wine but, dare I say, great wine. It was sweet, clean and balanced. I simply can't wait to see how it turns out. I'm very happy so far.<br /><br />Here are the numbers:<br />Brix: 21<br />TA: .6<br />PH: 3.38<br />The quality and taste of the juice was unprecedented for grapes from my vineyard, or even grapes I have purchased in the past. We'll see if my skills in the cellar can coax the best from this delightful fruit produced by God and Earth . I hope I know what I'm doing.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-1370372524853574872008-01-03T23:40:00.000-05:002008-01-15T16:17:51.149-05:002007 Villa Ruzzo Cabernet Franc<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevck7TD5zVuq5PtEQZKbD5uQp0ifsKSrs5hnj3n1bk1Myk_Vb4Ybnm8XO7B08IfJ41xkmTJ4B1jPKLRt-u54cb-2vqT1Fp6-INttDo426MRNN9D5f38yKlAoMDbc_wxRvJ8aC9xBvW84/s1600-h/Picture+028.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153338540787797314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevck7TD5zVuq5PtEQZKbD5uQp0ifsKSrs5hnj3n1bk1Myk_Vb4Ybnm8XO7B08IfJ41xkmTJ4B1jPKLRt-u54cb-2vqT1Fp6-INttDo426MRNN9D5f38yKlAoMDbc_wxRvJ8aC9xBvW84/s200/Picture+028.jpg" border="0" /></a> My quest to grow grapes worthy of making great wine caused me to be willing to experiment and take risks. The biggest risk was deciding to try and grow some vinifera vines when I planted my vineyard. Although everything that I read and researched told me I couldn't do it because of my winter lows and too short a growing season, I tried anyway. I did a lot of research and found what I determined to be the only red bordeaux grape that had a chance here: Cabernet Franc. It is one of the three main grape varieties that comprise a classic Bordeaux wine or an American Meritage(the Bordeaux style but grown in the U.S.) along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It is actually a genetic parent of Cabernet Sauvginon along with Sauvginon Blanc. It produces a much less tannic, lighter red wine than Cab Sav and a bit more herbaceous in character. It generally makes up the smallest percentage of the Bordeaux stlye blend. The best ones however, can be excellent and there are parts of the Loire Valley in France where it is the primary part of the blend. I have had some excellent "old world" style Cab Francs as a single varietal wine from the Long Island and Finger Lakes regions of New York State, as well as some more "fruit forward" New world style Cab Francs from California. I like them from both coasts for their respective characteristics. The variety just happens to be the most winter hardy of all vinifera varieties. It can survive well between -5 and -10F with minimal bud damage and the vine will not be killed until temperatures drop lower than -16F. It also ripens earlier than many red wine varieties including Cabernet Savignon. My only concern was that weather records showed a -28F record low for my City in upstate New York.<br /><div>I was hoping to achieve something along the lines of the Long Island versions since I liked them the best. My climate here is closer to the Finger lakes in the winter, but Long Island in the summer with the big exception of the fact that there is no large body of water near me to lengthen the ripeneing period by moderating temperatures in the late fall, when the water holds some heat and delays the first killing frost for a couple of weeks. I had read that some growers in places like Minnesota take their vines down off the trellis and bury them under a layer of dirt due to winter lows that prevent the growing of fine wine grapes. I figured hey it's only five vines, these guys are burying hundreds or thousands. No problem! And it wasn't, the first year. It didn't take me long at all an hour or two maybe. The vines came through with flying colors. Then I had a great idea; I was struggling to keep ten of the original vines I planted healthy. The variety was Chancellor another French-American hybrid that was very susceeptible to fungal diseases. So I ordered 25 more Cabernet Franc vines and in the spring I ripped out Chancellor and replanted with the Cab Franc. They grew nicely but pruning them down and burying them now that there was 30 was a <em><strong>lot</strong></em> of work. I did it for three years and as the vines got bigger, it got even harder. There was also the problem of a very short window of opportunity between leaf drop in late October/early November and the time the ground froze solid in mid-December. Especially when you only have weekends to get it done. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd2XKDJqKb-49R88-8dZa2etIs0FOhFyUZ_eEtHlMg0ZqNosMNdhmvo2G_utkM-F-HjXZVBGa2n70wLYyHKQmDBRGp-_0rHVVL9lfDbjWtGnwvazvE4vgL085zBhU1SyHpUKhmxJMgLc/s1600-h/Picture+032.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153338953104657746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd2XKDJqKb-49R88-8dZa2etIs0FOhFyUZ_eEtHlMg0ZqNosMNdhmvo2G_utkM-F-HjXZVBGa2n70wLYyHKQmDBRGp-_0rHVVL9lfDbjWtGnwvazvE4vgL085zBhU1SyHpUKhmxJMgLc/s200/Picture+032.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>The coldest temperature I have recorded in my backyard since I planted my vineyard is -17F. Fortunately I had the vines burried that year. But there have also been three years when the temperature never dropped below zero. The bottom line is I have stopped burrying the vines. Instead, I have devised a riskier but much easier method. I leave the vines up on the trellis and do what is done in the Finger Lakes - I "hill them up". Basically I mound up dirt around the base of the vines over the graft union. That is where the "Cab Franc wood" is grafted to the rootstock. This way if the worst happens and the whole vine is killed by low temperatures, you can regrow from the ground up. Then I take it a step further. I also let the vine grow a sucker each year, which is basically a shoot from the base that could be another trunk. Since the shoot is so thin and flexible it is very easy to bend down and pin to the ground before winter. If winter temperatures don't cause any damage, I'll just prune it off in the spring and grow a new one for next year. After "hilling up" I blow any snow from my driveway throughout the winter, onto the vines to add a layer of insulation to the vines for further protection. Is it a perfect method? No, but so far I have had a full crop every year. There is still the possibility I could have 100% kill of everything exposed to cold air if the temperature drops low enough, but that's where the extra shoot/trunk will come in. It will at least give me a small crop the next year and a full crop the year after. So far my risk has paid off. I better watch my tongue, it's only January!</div><div></div><div></div><div>This year was the very best quality fruit I have taken from the vines. It was clean, disease free and very dark blue (as you can see above). Here are the harvest numbers: </div><div></div><div>Brix: 22.5</div><div>TA: .55</div><div>PH: 3.51</div><div>Not bad for our frosty and unforgiving climate Huh? The wine tastes great so far, but we'll know better in about six months. I'm very excited though, maybe I'll be the first person to make a good red vinifera wine in the Capital Region of New York State. Now that would be something.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-28861575405866336302007-11-05T01:00:00.000-05:002007-11-06T20:39:18.432-05:002007 Villa Ruzzo Marechal Foch<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVvT99ri8xYxOcgvuX39eQ6a-SvKAV_urJ-9F4pGgOhQSB_YHEEeEP37yuURqboNFc6fvoQRRXW3bZPRAf88PIcbk9R2PFLVoYmaRUTLfzJIKg1m27i3yUIRKXiDOPGrEvrj85qNAsSo/s1600-h/Picture+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129249741160180370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVvT99ri8xYxOcgvuX39eQ6a-SvKAV_urJ-9F4pGgOhQSB_YHEEeEP37yuURqboNFc6fvoQRRXW3bZPRAf88PIcbk9R2PFLVoYmaRUTLfzJIKg1m27i3yUIRKXiDOPGrEvrj85qNAsSo/s200/Picture+010.jpg" border="0" /></a> In planning my vineyard back in the year 2000, I knew something about wine making but nothing about what, if any grapes could be grown for wine making in the Capital District of New York State. I did a lot of research online and I looked to local vineyards for guidance. There were exactly one (1) vineyards growing wine grapes within an hour of my home. "This is not a good sign" I thought to myself. The next obvious question was, "why?" I was fortunate enough to stumble across the Cornell University website which just happens to include a plethora of viticultural information. This is due to the Finger Lakes AVA grape growing region. This AVA (American Viticultural Area) I found to be the most similar to the climate in my backyard. Using online historical weather databases, the information all said "you can't grow high quality wine grapes in your backyard." I guess that's why there was only one tiny little nothing of a commercial vineyard anywhere near my house. "Great, now what?" Because I was NOT about to give up on my plan for a home vineyard! So I read, and I read, and read some more. I went from having no idea what the difference was between the grape varieties used to make a French Bordeaux and a California Meritage. (there is no difference for the most part) I learned that most European wines are not named after the varietal that they are made form, while most new world wines are. I learned about the red varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Zinfandel/Primitivo, Sangiovese, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo just to name a few. The white varitetals: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Semillion, to scratch the surface. I had made wine from some of these varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Merlot. I purchase these from a local distributor who imports California grapes every September. I had also come to appreciate many different commercial wines over the years. The conclusion that all the current knowledge had drawn me to though was this: Sadly, I could not grow the type of grapes I needed to make the types of wine that I love to drink. What and indescribable let down that was. You see, all the available expert advice coupled with the historical meteorological data said that Vitis Vinifera, the grape used to make the highest rated wines (ie; Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc etc.) could not handle the climate in New York's Capital Region. </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCFfPtrNbJA1K1PyzpxVYwNsaKj9U-qlQD3zU3fkEQc50BkEaLWElsNpegT8lMkJ9R1icjGtrTLLdRcgBQCxQcFfXfqtpdIcb-1BHYLaLhiMEXMaxpwlifSSL5ueQElotbHCQgYCANRo/s1600-h/Picture+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129250153477040802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCFfPtrNbJA1K1PyzpxVYwNsaKj9U-qlQD3zU3fkEQc50BkEaLWElsNpegT8lMkJ9R1icjGtrTLLdRcgBQCxQcFfXfqtpdIcb-1BHYLaLhiMEXMaxpwlifSSL5ueQElotbHCQgYCANRo/s200/Picture+009.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><div>I was crushed ( no pun intended), yet determined not to give up. Along the way, I had read about French-American Hybrids. These were exactly what their name implies; hybrids of Vitis Vinifera (wine grapes) and the cold hardy, disease resistant native American varieties, which make great jelly and juice, but terrible wine. Without going into way more detail than I already have, these varietals were created during the late 1800's in an effort to develop wine grapes that could resist the phylloxera root louse, an unintentionally imported American pest that pretty much wiped out all of France's vineyards at that time. These hybrids combined the natural phlloxera resistance of the American vines with the superior wine quality of the European vines. The problem was later resolved by grafting European vines onto American rooststocks. An unintentional feature of these hybrids though, was much hardier cold tolerance. You see Vitis Vinifera requires a long warm growing season and winter lows not colder than say 0 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit. I researched the record low in my area and found it to be -28 degrees Fahrenheit. Not good for me. This is where Cornell University came in to play. I learned about varieties like Chambourcin, Chancellor and Marechal Foch. These grapes could handle the cold, were planted widely in the Finger Lakes and Canada, and made into commercial wines.<br /></div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglk64wZBePEdJ9x-XyOVEfyVe2hirhHAVtMzxgKWl6QrsdA2zSqRGqHlXbEDq8-D5CTGbIWIIE8N-z9Cl9h0a55MUGGNzgAFyL180BD4BJ007B4ZaQNZ-VDulspZjJkgCCo-3TJ7nbQBM/s1600-h/Picture+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129249225764104834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglk64wZBePEdJ9x-XyOVEfyVe2hirhHAVtMzxgKWl6QrsdA2zSqRGqHlXbEDq8-D5CTGbIWIIE8N-z9Cl9h0a55MUGGNzgAFyL180BD4BJ007B4ZaQNZ-VDulspZjJkgCCo-3TJ7nbQBM/s200/Picture+007.jpg" border="0" /></a>Next I went out to local wine stores and found these wines. I tasted and became depressed. I just didn't like them nearly as much as Cab's and Zin's. I tried really hard to like them cause I really wanted to grow wine grapes in my yard. The only one I seemed to be able get a little excited about was Marechal Foch. That, in a huge nutshell is was what led me to select it as one of the varieties I first planted. Every year so far, the grapes have ripened nicely and come in with good sugar and acid levels for wine making. The problem for me has been that if you try to make wine with these grapes like you would make Cabernet Sauvinon or other vinifera grapes, it tastes funky. So I have spent the past 5 years trying to figure out how to make the best wine possible with these grapes and I think this year may be the year. It really helps that the weather was great and the fruit that came in from my Foch vines was just perfect as the above pictures show. For you winemakers here are the harvest details:</div><div> </div><div>Harvest Date: 9/26/2007</div><div>Brix: 24.2</div><div>TA: .6</div><div>PH: 3.59</div><div> </div><div>These numbers coupled with the taste and condition of the fruit, have me very excited about the wine potential. So far the early results are super promising. I'll keep you posted along the way.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-50717354513849823722007-11-05T00:10:00.000-05:002007-11-05T00:54:56.881-05:00Harvest -Finally!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJo3xGJQx2hiDnT89QT1uMJBoGxh90G3n5gq_gKLNCOzM2dbshLuZLOCrlFQQ0oUd07XKNiVADtHfek9mGzOgmGzSTzyPv_TvmJnQyw3GE38NqIYGNrue0jYF7jtUM95v5uzSVhHOb60/s1600-h/IMG00357.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129230723044993650" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJo3xGJQx2hiDnT89QT1uMJBoGxh90G3n5gq_gKLNCOzM2dbshLuZLOCrlFQQ0oUd07XKNiVADtHfek9mGzOgmGzSTzyPv_TvmJnQyw3GE38NqIYGNrue0jYF7jtUM95v5uzSVhHOb60/s200/IMG00357.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Harvest is now complete and the grapes are safely in the cellar being turned into wine. This post is long, long overdue, but that just reflects the demanding nature of viticulture. Harvest is a very demanding time of year (seems like I say that about every phase of grape growing) because of the delicate balance between the ripening grapes and the weather. I grow four different varietals and they all ripen at different times during the fall. This requires that you be ready to harvest them on the exact date that they are ready. The problem this presents here in the Northeast United States is that it is by no means an exact science. Each year different weather factors and growing conditions effect the life cycle of that particular year's crop. For example, the weather in the month of April will determine when budbreak will occur. Warmer weather will cause buds to break sooner while cooler weather means a later budbreak. Each variety has a required number of "growing days" to harvest. My varieties; Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Regent and Marechal Foch range from approximately 150 to 180 growing days to harvest. Of course, the weather can have a huge impact on those numbers. Especially does the fall weather influence grape ripening and quality. The more warm sunny weather you get in September and early October, the better quality your grapes will be. My previous post expands on this subject. I'm happy to report that this year's harvest was the best in the 8 year history of my vineyard! I will compose four posts to follow that will highlight the harvest details of each of my four varietals. But let's just say that I have super high hopes for the 2007 vintage wines. Depending on how the wine making process goes, I may even enter some of them into some amateur wine making competitions. That's a big step for me, one I have yet to take after 15 years of winemaking and 8 years of grape growing.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-42787211344509280382007-08-26T09:27:00.000-05:002007-08-27T09:05:31.445-05:00Let the Sun Shine!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8SGFpI8gZ_cX99Y2xt_D9HOHgZ2Yxj5pbLYqaCw3WZu-Ygn5dx8FIzxYNf_ILFDG5Z9GG-4UAWQC5cLkaD_bwBjRQtnfEFlvegkmm0jQ-Z2wn3k9aVSMillRI3sGFHn25qWS_4gM9Hk/s1600-h/Picture+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103381142423588882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8SGFpI8gZ_cX99Y2xt_D9HOHgZ2Yxj5pbLYqaCw3WZu-Ygn5dx8FIzxYNf_ILFDG5Z9GG-4UAWQC5cLkaD_bwBjRQtnfEFlvegkmm0jQ-Z2wn3k9aVSMillRI3sGFHn25qWS_4gM9Hk/s200/Picture+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>During and after verasion a winegrower becomes neurotically aware of the sunshine. My wife can't stand it because this time of year my moods are actually influenced by the weather report. When the forecast calls for warm sunny days, she loves me. If the dreaded cloudy, or worse yet rainy forecast is called for, however, she plans to spend time away from me! You see, this is the time of year when you need as much sunshine as possible to raise the brix(sugar content) of your grapes to adequate levels for wine making. For red grapes that is generally 22-24 brix and for white wine 20-23 brix will usually be sufficient. The sun does more than build sugar levels though. The sun shining on the clusters themselves actually contributes to something called phenolic ripeness. This means that not only do the grapes have sufficient sugar for wine making, but they are physiologically ripe. There are no vegetal flavors, harsh, green tannins are gone. Fruit flavors are at a maximum and the grapes will make delicious wine. It is entirely possible for grapes to have enough sugar, but still be unripe. That's where hang time comes into play. That is the difficult and subjective period when the grapes have achieved a fairly good level of ripeness but they are not quite ready to pick, so they must hang for days or weeks longer until they reach phenolic ripeness. During this time the birds, bees, deer and lots of other pests would love to get their greedy paws(beaks, antennae, whatever) on your precious crop. Again, this is where watching the weather is crucial. Nicely ripened grapes that are just about ready can be ruined by a soaking rain. The grapes will soak up the water and become diluted. They may swell and split open only to become infected by gray mold, sour rot or unwanted botrytis. This time period is so important and it's really exciting. The whole vintage comes down to these final weeks and you continue to hope for the best and try to avoid the worst. The most important decision is still more than a month away for me, that is the day to begin the harvest. It will be different for each grape variety since they all ripen at different rates. It's all so stressful! And to think: I do this in my spare time for relaxation and pleasure? I need my head examined.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-51328925540415779232007-08-03T22:06:00.000-05:002007-08-03T22:31:19.069-05:00Verasion -A Test of Patience<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52gQbzOp9tG_01R_0owgm7Cw8ljcUnDbLbe7P_pNJP6Kc2JmJzBneMNAf4sXdenlFANIqFvRjBw31pI_ut73GayfvYKIO7de_SEapVuRDi6UxVkGn-eaKxS7ZwNLINuHUdvAJym88sK4/s1600-h/vacation+pictures+046.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094682190408474498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52gQbzOp9tG_01R_0owgm7Cw8ljcUnDbLbe7P_pNJP6Kc2JmJzBneMNAf4sXdenlFANIqFvRjBw31pI_ut73GayfvYKIO7de_SEapVuRDi6UxVkGn-eaKxS7ZwNLINuHUdvAJym88sK4/s200/vacation+pictures+046.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Second only to the last few months of winter, the most difficult waiting period for a wine grower is the time just prior to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">verasion</span> (when the grapes soften and change color). In the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">preceding</span> weeks you have been waging a seemingly endless war against fungus and insects, keeping the canopy healthy and open, as well as making sure the grapes are exposed to a good deal of sunlight. You have watched the grapes reach full size, and it just seems as if nothing else is ever going to happen. Every day you inspect the bunches and check for the slightest change in color and still nothing. <em>Is something wrong</em>, you begin to wonder, <em>they were changing by this time last year</em>. <em>What's going on here! </em>Then finally one day, you notice something on a few of of the berries. Is it black rot? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Anthracnose</span>? Some downy Mildew that you've missed? No, wait a minute these grapes are turning! It's here it's finally here, <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">verasion</span>. </em>What seemed like it was never going to happen has begun, the grapes are ripening. It's a wonderful sign of good things ahead. Now I just have to get the nets up to keep the birds away. You gotta love it!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-22566657569753503112007-07-12T10:31:00.000-05:002007-08-07T08:21:57.976-05:00The Long Road to a New Vintage<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeLTfVSwM3XuBOoIRxAsEItmadqWmGimgTLuY0LLOa6Sxz18sV2XBpCfL2sOMdQ9VZFnDvpvhUPImUs_fKhfRZYHO32apr9CLKclvuycIKt1x1CO6Aqv4kNWf-JvT58H67JOvDj0_PWk/s1600-h/vacation+pictures+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086509521221715730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeLTfVSwM3XuBOoIRxAsEItmadqWmGimgTLuY0LLOa6Sxz18sV2XBpCfL2sOMdQ9VZFnDvpvhUPImUs_fKhfRZYHO32apr9CLKclvuycIKt1x1CO6Aqv4kNWf-JvT58H67JOvDj0_PWk/s200/vacation+pictures+012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />It's amazing each year just how quickly the trellis fills with new growth. Once <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">budbreak</span></span> begins, it almost seems to happen overnight. You just wake up one morning, walk outside and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Viola!</span> It's full. In actuality, it took roughly two months, all of May and June for the trellis to fill up. Of course weather plays a big part in new shoot growth. Keeping up with suckering and spraying is always challenge for me between work and family responsibilities. This year, fruit set was rather poor especially on my Cabernet Franc and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Riesling</span>. I'm not quite sure why, but I believe I sprayed too close to bloom. I know that rain, cold, or damp weather can cause this, but that was not the case this year. So to compensate for the lack of berries in many clusters, I will not do as much cluster thinning or "green harvest" as it is called. This removing of perfectly fine clusters of grapes prior to, or just after <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">verasion</span></span> ensures that the vine's crop load will not be too heavy and thus cause a reduction in ripening and grape quality. Every year really does present it's challenges and these are reflected in the different wines produced from the same vines and same grape varieties each year. Hence that is why vintages will vary from year to year. One thing that never changes with each vintage, is how much I love to go out in my vineyard in the evening and just sit with a good glass of wine (<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Preferably</span> made from my own grapes of a previous vintage). As dusk sets in and the birds settle into their nests, everything starts to quiet down. The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">crickets</span> begin their hypnotic chant and a warm breeze rustles through the vines. A waft of oak, cherry, and tobacco rises from my glass and then: a sip of good wine. There are not many things as peaceful as this.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125776196227370356.post-84059908382701104872007-07-05T23:17:00.000-05:002007-07-08T09:09:27.186-05:00Budbreak -A time of new beginnings and WORK!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwlCHB0rdz3unO9iwbTLY8rKz_99Azzb7PmG6k30vcqXuXQrRVclpcXap8dUM5rRsPcPnv5sVp2XEqIcdl-KJMOWkkhEPGIRNW_2wSwhRTEvWx7dDJhFX1HJq93GDfD2Ex4OaKup01cUU/s1600-h/vacation+pictures+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083936856566112418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwlCHB0rdz3unO9iwbTLY8rKz_99Azzb7PmG6k30vcqXuXQrRVclpcXap8dUM5rRsPcPnv5sVp2XEqIcdl-KJMOWkkhEPGIRNW_2wSwhRTEvWx7dDJhFX1HJq93GDfD2Ex4OaKup01cUU/s200/vacation+pictures+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The vines broke bud back in May and from that point on they screamed ATTENTION, NOW!! I had sincerely intended on writing this post by mid-May, but my vines would just not have it. Like little children awakening from a nap, they began to cry for my constant attention and care. I began "changing" them weekly, that is spraying them with sulfur and copper to protect them from the onslaught of fungal diseases like powdery mildew and black rot. Then of course they need "discipline" and "training". You see grapevines love to push the limits as they grow, sprawling up and out, here and there, wanting to grow their shoots long. I, as any good <em>grower</em> would, need to keep them in line by setting limits. That is, by tying them to the trellis and keeping them looking neat by trimming their suckers and water shoots. Oh they fight, but eventually they settle down and when the trellis is full of a new healthy canopy of green, they have shown me that they still love me. Now, if only they'll cooperate right up till harvest. Well it is a labor of love you know and after all, they are still my babies.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Growing grapes & making wine in your backyard.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191160101891692319noreply@blogger.com0