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I've tried Concords in the past too and wonder if your experience is anything like my own. Don't know why, but I never got much color in the wine. Good alcohol content and a very grapey flavor, but looked more like White Zin than the deep purple skins of the Concords promised. I also had a...

“Jim, don’t eat that! It’s moldy and you’ll get sick… or worse!” This came from my wife, as she noted a white film covering the peach slices I was about to put on my oatmeal. I hastened to advise her that the white film had been on those peaches for at least a week already, and I’m still...

Thanks, guys. The good news is that the shriveled berries in my photo are still the only ones that don't look good. Otherwise, nicely-ripening ones and other still green. I'll continue to spray with the copper solution, but an arbor is my only option right now. In fact, these Zins share the...

Will do. BUT... if last year was any indication, I'll have 'not raisins,' really, but dry, crispy grape skeletons by the time Mr. Brix breaks 10 on the few berries that survive. I'll keep us all posted. Many thanks to all for the info.

I'm in Orange County, CA, with plenty of hot days, and inland far enough that there's not much fog aside from the morning high-elevation 'June Gloom' that doesn'tget anything wet. Seems like a good grape-growing area, and the Concord vine I've had for more than 20 years grows like a weed...

This is the first year I've had a good Zinfandel crop, the previous two years' grapes succumbed to 'noble rot,' at least that's what I think it was. But this year I applied a fungicide and was rewarded with large, dense clusters. Trouble is, they seem quite ripe... very soft, starting to...

Thanks very much for the tips, all. TOMMARINI, you ask if I spray. Never have, but certainly not opposed, if the spray isn't too toxic. What is generally recommended? I know nothing about this. 20 years ago, when I lived about 350 miles further north in a coastal mountain community, I grew...

Ah, yes. Orange County, CA, a few miles from Disneyland.

I have tremendous luck with Concord grapes for jelly, but my Zinfandel vine obviously has problems. I get good green clusters, which begin to ripen nicely, but when they get to a Brix of about 13 or so, the grapes begin to shrivel. A few clusters continue to mature, but far too few to do...

Good topic, and just in time. I've got a few pounds of Zinfandel grapes getting ripe pretty fast, and it's been a few years since I've tried wine-making. In fact, I gave away my wine-making stuff; all I have left is a refractometer. But I've ordered some basic stuff on eBay and look forward...

I hope I don't get asked to leave the group for even posting such a question, but here it is anyhow. Amazon and others sell 'juice steamers' that cook the juice from fruit. These are generally used for making jelly and jam, and are able to extract juice even from fruits like apricots and...

I'm no longer active in home winemaking and, in fact, donated my press and glassware to a local club some time ago. But I've got an arbor with probably about 20-30 pounds of Zinfandel grapes, currently at 11 Brix, and wonder what sort of results might be expected simply fermenting the grapes...

Hey, Manley, thanks for the quick response. Neither 'nasty' is listed on the label, only a bit of Ascorbic Acid ("Vitamin C" they say). Any wine yeast okay, you think?

Hi, new member here, but longtime winemaker... although everything I have made so far is undrinkable. Anyway, I saw your postings on apple cider wine and wonder if anyone here has tried making an apple cider/wine from the gallon jugs of apple juice or cider sold at the supermarket? Is there a...