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I love Madrona Vineyards there

I plan to cold soak the one lug of Zinfandel and ferment it with some oak chips and that is it. (Watching the YouTube videos of the nonnis making wine, they don't even bother with oak.) My knowledge of Zinfandel wine making is approaching nil. I always assumed that Zin was light on tannins, but...

Hi all, This year I have some small batches and I might try differing ingredients between the batches. I have used Scott'Tan FT Rouge on most of my reds as an enological tannin. This year I want to try oak chips in the primary. One issue with the FT Rouge is that MoreWine says it might not...

I agree the venting areas are annoying, but not impossible to deal with. I suggest to you to look at some restaurant supply stores. I found other brands that have the basic cylinder shape and are food grade

50% Smaller harvest this year, bummer! One vineyard had lots of moldy clusters—the clusters looked okay-ish on the outside but loads of black mold on the inside. Yuck, I did not pick most of the vineyard. I assume that there is little that can be done to fix such grapes. I did my sulfur spray...

Average Brix is creeping up we are 24-26 range and the berries have softened Sept 8 remains the pick date A couple of days in the high 90s raises the Brix

All six vines continue to grow. The grafts are healing

The Zin berries keep growing I won’t make wine with the Zin this year but it is nice to see what to expect Zin 1 Future site of Zin 2.

My Cab Sauv and Merlot are all between 22 and 26 brix now. I plan to harvest on Sunday, Sept 8. Two hot days are coming this week which should accelerate the ripening. Of course, man plans and God laughs! I hope to harvest at lower Brix levels this year. I have pushed the ripeness levels in the...

I will do further research on ArmiCarb. It seems to be compatible with micronized sulfur and maybe acts similarly to lime sulfur treatments, and it is wetting. I don't think my disease issues require Mancozeb, yet, but systemic fungicide would let me be a lot more lazy in my protocol.

That is a sudden collapse of the canopy. If there is not some obvious damage to the trunk, gophers are the next bet. I have never heard of a trunk virus and your leaves show no signs or a virus. It could be caused by severe crown gall around the union, but it is doubtul.

I have read that over 12 brix, the powdery mildew does not affect the grape berries. Is that other people's experience? I have noted some clusters on Zinfandel where the berries look perfect but the peduncles look white and fuzzy, not green and glossy.

I see that someone else is experiencing this pH shift also. One of my 2021 wines that I entered into a competition August 2023 was judged tart, and I agree. I tasted the same wine again last night and the obvious tang of the tartaric acid addition is gone. Buffers will try to pull the wine pH to...

I would guess that the large berries of Zinfandel is why it lacks the tannic punch of Cab Sauv. I will get quite a bit of juice out of my small planting.

Zinfandel has sized up. Brix=21 Harvest season is right around the corner!!!! I am new to growing Zin and the berries are huge, compared to Cab or Merlot.

When you work a harvest, you meet many people in the industry. I think it is the best way to get your foot in the winery door. Both you and potential employers will know if this job suits you. No one wears all the hats in the wine industry. It could be that you like growing grapes more than...

Stihl 064! Wow, Dad had one also. Made in West Germany. Dang thing would not die so I had to give it away haha. She was a beaut but was getting old.

Haha! Can I see your license to use that wrench?

Seeing all these different perspectives is helpful to me. One aspect of winemaking that did not occur to me at first is that it is a leisure activity. And it may be that any hobby is becoming a luxury. Golf courses are having issues finding players in our area. Retirees with pensions are rare...

25 Brix is my aim, but I also look at the growing degree-days to make sure they are ripening normally and the taste also.