# Help please



## bmili (Apr 26, 2007)

I am new to growing grapes and am wanting to make wine one day. I have three vines in my backyard (one of each variety). I have Flame seedless, Thompson seedless, and Champanel. I know the thompson and flame are mainly table grapes, but I would really like to make a wine out of the Champanel or Flame. Please let me know which would be the best choice. There is also a wine store in Carrolton (DFW) where I can get supplies, also, about how many lbs of grapes would I need for 1 gallon?


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## grapeman (Apr 27, 2007)

First let me WELCOME you to the forum. Stay a while and learn as you go, or if you already know winemaking, share your experiences with others.


Your best bet for making wine with this selection, believe it or not is the Thompson Seedless. It is used and in the past heavily used for the bulk of the jug wines. Because it is low acidity and has no real aromas it makes a pretty flat tasting wine, but none the less does make wine. The others will make wine, but lack acidity and real flavors also. It takes about 15 pounds of these grapes for each gallon. What you might be able to do is find a good wild grape ripe at the same time(or you can freeze any of them to get better timing). They are much more flavorful, higher in acids and tannins. You could add about a pound of them in the gallon of other juice(why not try a blend of the three) and make a mixed wine. 


Gather up what grapes you can and if they aren't ready at the same time, freeze them as they ripen. That makes juice extraction easier in small lots anyways. When you have enough of the mixture, gather your ingredients and give it a shot.


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## bmili (Apr 27, 2007)

thanks for the help, i think maybe adding another wild grape might be a good idea, but what about adding other fruit to the wine, would that work well?


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## OilnH2O (Apr 30, 2007)

Bmili -- I sure hope you've visited George in the Winemakers Toy Store right there in Carrollton! ALL your questions can be answered there!


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## bmili (May 4, 2007)

I need to, been working on landscaping my sideyard to fight erosion. Just got a Mars vine as well, but I am plannin on stopping by there to figure it all out.


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## bj4271 (May 7, 2007)

Bmili you might want to consider getting some muscadine vines. They're great in your area (&amp; mine). Make better wine than 'normal' grapes IMHO.


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## bmili (May 7, 2007)

thanks, ive been reading a little about them but need to do more research, got any variety suggestions?


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## bj4271 (May 7, 2007)

bmili said:


> thanks, ive been reading a little about them but need to do more research, got any variety suggestions?




I just planted some last year &amp; most of them didn't make it I think I over watered them. You might want to read about different varieties at Ty Ty's or Ison's websites.


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## jobe05 (May 7, 2007)

bmili: 


Here is a good rating system done by Isons. I have ordered some of their plants and even though they were small, they arrived in good shap and alive.
http://www.isons.com/rating.htm


On the bottom of the ratings page (kinda bottom right), is a legend (sorta) as to what all the codes mean. You can pick the ones you lie for making wine. And beleive me, it does matter! I got about 60 pounds from a farmer in Virginia that tasted awesome, then I got another 40 pounds or so from a guy at the flea market. I did the flea market batch first and it made a GREAT scuppernong wine. The one I got from VA, after fermenting, have absolutely no scuppernong flavor at all...... Should have made jelly........*Edited by: jobe05 *


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