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I found many recipes online for apple wine using peels and cores. I have 2 batches going. Batch One required simmering the apples, cores and peels for 15 minutes, adding sugar to the hot mix and after a day adding yeast and nutrients. It's a very hot active ferment! Batch two peels and...

While I was sleeping, I pondered this seed thing and then I realized our Anna Apples don't have many seeds. One seed now and then. The reason for this is that the tree is UN-pollinated. It's an old tree that was here when we bought the property. The apples are pretty whonky looking. Nothing...

Not sure what an apple pip is. Is it a seed? The seeds will be discarded like the wine grape seeds.

It will be an experiment for sure. I could use frozen apple juice concentrate. I just hate to waste the cores and skins. Lots of good stuff on them. Skins and seeds might add some tannins? Of course they will get strained out. This deluge of apples happens yearly, so I'm determined to make...

So, I have bushels of apples staring at me, and more on the tree. I peel, core and freeze the apples for sauce and pies. Last June I tossed a lot of apple peels and cores into the compost pile. Then I thought... YOU ARE STUPID! Make some alcohol with it! Any recipes you care to share? I'm...

At the seminar I asked, " Do you blend in the primary or after." Jury is out. Many opinions.

We will not buy grapes. The deal is to grow them. We have 3 year olds with clusters. I think we need to pinch, but that is tough.

All heat lovers. Zinfandel, Alicante Bouchette, Mourvedre, Malbec, Cab Sauvignon, And some greek and spanish and argentine vines.

We have 1.5 acres, and they are in ground, head trained. Steep slope.

So Paul, show me the pleasure of walking the vineyard. The smell, the joy, the "ooops" What is that? Are the tendrils healthy in spring? They should be. If not, what?

Just wondering. We went to a seminar and got boatloads of info including instructions for making wine from your OWN vineyard. We have the vineyard. Grapes are 5 years old. Refuse to buy grapes. We grow them. Is there a forum for grape growers? Whole different ballgame.

Enter me! I liked you and commented on facebook!

I'm getting rid of "stuff." OMG! A beloved parent just passed leaving the family tons of stuff to go through. Already called my kids. I'm gifting prior to death, and going through all our stuff to just lose what we don't need. Did you know recycled wine bottles can get you enough cash to...

I've only made toasted pecan. I do know if you soak almonds and lemon leaves, or orange leaves in 100 proof alcohol, then add some red or white wine, you'll get a lovely essence of almond drink. I do that with green pecans. Oh MY! Why not toast the almonds? My fruit and nut wine making...

Harvested Tempranillo, Cabernet, Mourvedre, and Touriga National from 3 & 4 year old vines. The blend will be 1/2 Tempranillo, 1/4 Touriga National, 1/8 Mourvedre and 1/8 Cab. Grapes are resting in freezer now because we are planning a wedding here in Nov. No time to make wine! Got the...

I'm sure it will work with grapes. It's called air layering. I do it with my figs. I don't need any more rooted cuttings of grapes I currently own, but I do have my order for dormant cuttings of varieties that I don't have on order from UC Davis.. I do currently have one long cane that was...

I've rooted dormant cuttings in the spring, in damp peat and perlite with 70% success, green softwood cuttings in water in summer (success rate 20%..well, they all rooted, but only 2 out of 10 grew into actual vines), and layered cuttings by burying a living cane under the dirt next to the mama...

Same issue here. Tons of flies! We spray ours with Bayer Merit, top and bottom, and it doesn't affect the spiders at all! Spider's eat bugs, not leaves. As soon as we spray, the flies are gone. Mainly the Merit is for the dreaded glassy winged sharpshooter. Today we spray with BT for the...

Almost all my UC Davis cuttings rooted, but they got attacked by fungus gnats, and I didn't realize that those larvae would kill my cuttings FAST~ By the time I learned how to control them, I lost most of my cuttings. However, at least 20 survived and I've had to get taller stakes because they...

Don't Quit your Day Job Yet! That is such fantastic news!! I bet you can't wait! Please keep us posted, and please keep your day job for some time. From what I've heard running a vineyard is not a cheap deal! But as has been said, you are young and have time and energy on your side...