# MEAGER HARVEST



## NorthernWinos (Sep 9, 2006)

The weather forecasters were playing tricks on us yesterday, they said there could possibly be a frost up near the Canadian border, about 100+ miles away...kind of sends chills though your spine....about 3 weeks too early for that...it did get down to 40*F early this morning...burrr!!!
So...I went out and picked 3 grapevines yesterday, a meager harvest, but young vines and their first year of production....
Here are the spoils...Valiant, Edelweiss and King of the North...All are Table/Wine/ and Juice grapes...







There was 10.75 to 11.25 pounds of cleaned fruit per vine...guess that isn't too bad considering the size of the vines...

Look at the difference in size of the clusters....






Still have some juice grapes on the vine, will get to them real soon....

The Swenson Red vine [table/juice/wine] that was old enough to produce is still in the early stages of véraion...turning red, but so slowly...






The fruit is very sweet and tasty, but I wonder if 2-3 weeks is enough time for them to turn red...??? Guess time will tell...*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## sangwitch (Sep 9, 2006)

Those are beautiful!


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## Wade E (Sep 9, 2006)

That is a beautiful thing. How many more are there to pick?


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## NorthernWinos (Sep 9, 2006)

Just 3 more plants of juice grapes and the one plant of Swenson Red, wine grapes....been juicing the grapes today, going to blend all the wine type grapes together, regardless of color and make a batch of wine...it will be an Estate label...grown and bottled on the premises...



That will be a beautiful thing...





Signed.....Purple </font>Fingers


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## grapeman (Sep 9, 2006)

Your grapes are ripening pretty early out there this year. Probably due to the hot, dry weather. My Niagaras are getting ripish- a little while longer. The Concords still have about 3 to 4 weeks to go, but are the biggest ones I have ever had. Hope you enjoy all those varieties. Do you have enough of anything to make a batch alone, or are you planning on mixing some? I wish I had that much of a variety this year- I will have to wait another year or two. Looking Good.






Gotta go back and stir my spaghetti sauce I'm canning- should have about 20 quarts and enough for supper tonight- Cindy is working late today. Probably have some Merlot with it.


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## Wade E (Sep 9, 2006)

I envy you guys. I have just decided to clear out a little woods from
my yard to grow some grapes. This winter I am going to research
what varieties will do good in Ct. Anyone have any ideas to get me
started. I plan on clearing a 20' x 20' area for now and put posts up
every 6' and put wire across the top which will be about 7 1/2' tall so
that the vines will grow up and hang down like my friends neighbor He
can walk right under and pick them and the grapes are out of reach from the deer at least.


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## Waldo (Sep 9, 2006)

"WOW" !!!! Hell I can say it backwards, wino,"WOW" Those look awesome. I sure hope you will be posting some more pictures.


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## pkcook (Sep 9, 2006)

Wino,


Great looking vines and grapes. Would love to see the pressing process when you make your wine! Keep us posted.


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## paubin (Sep 10, 2006)

The grapes look great. I can't wait until to get a house here and start my own little vinyard. By the way, does anyone know of a supplier or nursery that sells native american vines. I have found muscadine but am having trouble finding others, ie... mustang, berlandieri, ect...Understandably most "wild" grapes are southern but I'd love to give them a try next spring.
Pete


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## grapeman (Sep 10, 2006)

Wade,
The first thing to consider is site selection. Woods are not very friendly places for the vines because of the shade. They will grow, but you will have more disease and they will ripen slowly. Do you have a corner of yard that is clear? Or at least choose the sunniest spot in the edge of the woods next to the lawn. Locate it with a southern exposure. Another choice you might have is to make one long fence type trellis along the edge of the woods and lawn(assuming you have one).


Why don't you create a new post we can see easily and I'm sure you will get lots of ideas. Good luck, study up and you will soon have vines like the Northern Winos.


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## NorthernWinos (Sep 10, 2006)

pkcook said:


> Wino,
> 
> Great looking vines and grapes.  Would love to see the pressing process when you make your wine!  Keep us posted.



Your going to cringe....I didn't press them, I ran them through the juicer and canned them in mason jars....






Wasn't much pulp left from those juicy Edleweiss...






God willing the Swenson Red might ripen, in which case I will blend them and make some wine....Got 6 qts. of King of the North juice, [very sweet] and 5 qts of Edleweiss...The Swenson Red plant is pretty loaded, sure hope they ripen...

In the meantime, there are 6 boxes of ripe tomatoes needing some attention and the kitchen floor is so sticky it needs some TLC today too...


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## pkcook (Sep 10, 2006)

No cringing here! When winter rolls in and you open up a jar of fresh canned juice for breakfast, it will have been worth it. That juicer really sucks the goodies out of the fruit. Seems like the juicer pulls most of the color out of the skins from the looks of the King of the North juice.


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