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All good notes above. I’d add make sure you wait a day or so after crush to test. Lots of books explain why, skins and pulp and stuff. I’ve heard of folks putting the must through a blender then through a coffee filter instead of waiting. Haven’t tried that myself.

As @balatonwine says, depends on if potted or bare root. Either way, you only want two buds to shoot, from as high up the trunk as you can, where it is at least a pencil in diameter. Pinch off the ones from down at the bottom like 2 and 3 in the second picture. But, if bare root, trim off to...

Do you think the vine knows it’s not being individually cared for by a human? I do.

3 piece and s type. 10% k meta.

Daffys are in full bloom (frogs are my bride’s thing). Rain in the forecast for the next ten days but snowing in the mountains. Still around freezing in the morning. Have to finish pruning!

Ah something on my mind as I just hit 60. The half acre of vines I have is all I can do with my day job, but as raised above, what about when I retire in a few years? Plant more and go legal as I’ll have more time and as said above, won’t need the money but am not keeping up with drinking and...

I press early to try and tame my PS and new barrel it. I did buy a bottle of the Caymus to compare. I’m not thinking it will be much of a comparison, but it’ll be fun drinking. :dg

I’ve been thinking about this. Lots of folks ferment CF and CF in new barrels. However, the chore of removing the head, filling, putting it back on, rolling, pulling the head again to press.....lots of work. I was thinking of chips, staves, or spirals being inherently lazy. I plan to try half...

I use the F&F route and provide lunch. I’ve picked at a couple local vineyards. Both charged $10 bucks as a “class”. I asked why and was told insurance. If we volunteer we are “ employees” whereas picking as part of a class, not. Go figure. Anyway, both provided lunch, we picked till then and...

Assuming they didn’t grow long enough to reach your wire height, I agree to cutting them back. You can prune anytime but better before bud break as they get fragile. Prune to 2-4 good buds as low down as you can, above the graft if grafted. The lower the buds, the better the redundancy of two...

I use similar type topped bottles from easy-cap, and commercial cider I’ve consumed, for my carbonated cider. They seal real well. Occasionally I’ll use them to hold extra wine from racking etc. much more tight than a tcork or stopper. You can get replacement gaskets for the easy cap as well. If...

A lovely day in the winery, calmly racking from one keg to another, dog snoozing on the floor, then all he’ll broke loose! Dog running out covered in wine, Cab Sauv tracks out into the family room.....I wish someone had filmed it:rn

I use old stainless steel beer kegs. My local salvage yard saves them for me when they come in. Have to be careful what’s been in them, but a lot I find have just been used as boueys. If you can find them, they are a cheap alternative. One note, they are all not the same size, even if marked...

What? You don’t sling your open loppers over your shoulder? I need something like that.

Spring has arrived, sorry folks in the NE. 60 on Sunday so I got a little pruning done. Now I have the flu, so that is on hold. At least Wines and Vines and Wine Maker arrived so I have something to read.

:cJust give a call John if you need help with those large bottles. I’d trade just about anything in my cellar except perhaps the Leonetti or Figgens. :br Well, maybe......

Maybe it is a risk issue since cu is a health issue and thus potential liabilities for a test? One thing if you kill some fish, another if it’s your neighbor? I have no idea. Interesting question though as I’ve used cu to correct a couple of batches and it sure would have been nice to know...

I don’t know of a test for home, perhaps a lab service. All the reading I’ve done focuses on not adding too much.

Interesting thread as I’m about half way through Failure is Not an Option. It speaks to the amazing work of the 60s. Of course like all maturing technologies, the glamor goes, but good work still needs to be done.

A nice video, thanks for the link. It is good to see the three buds as well. We’ve only gotten to the low teens, so I don’t expect any damage, but I think I’ll try this for fun before I start pruning Saturday.