2018 Grape Season Underway

[pgentile]

Unfortunately the photo of my SA lugs does not help.

 

[ceeaton]

But your PUC NL0026 code is enough since SA freely publishes it online here:

http://www.daff.gov.za/daffweb3/Bra...fety/Plant-Health/Exporting-from-SA/Producers

 

[mainshipfred]

But your PUC NL0026 code is enough since SA freely publishes it online here:

http://www.daff.gov.za/daffweb3/Bra...fety/Plant-Health/Exporting-from-SA/Producers

View attachment 46907

Good find Craig

 

[pgentile]

Well I was completely wrong my grapes were from Olifantsrivier. I guess that translates: Elephant River? Nice find.

 

[Boatboy24]

Just placed my order with Harford. 8 lugs of Carmenere and 1 lug of Petite Verdot. Going for a 'Purple Angel' type wine. Purple Angel is 92/8% each and every year, it seems. I didn't want to come up w/ much more than 10 gallons, so that's why I settled on the ratio. Going with a field blend. I'm hoping this is much better than my 2016 Chileans.

 

[mainshipfred]

Get rhat crusher ready. I'm picking mine up on Saturday. But I'll only have 5 lugs to crush.

 

[Boatboy24]

Get rhat crusher ready. I'm picking mine up on Saturday. But I'll only have 5 lugs to crush.

Saturday!!?? Isn't it a little early?

 

[mainshipfred]

Saturday!!?? Isn't it a little early?

Sorry, I meant picking my crusher destemmer Saturday. Or at least looking at it.

 

[Boatboy24]

Sorry, I meant picking my crusher destemmer Saturday. Or at least looking at it.

You scared the bejesus outta me!!

Checking out that press too?

 

[pgentile]

Just placed my order with Harford. 8 lugs of Carmenere and 1 lug of Petite Verdot. Going for a 'Purple Angel' type wine. Purple Angel is 92/8% each and every year, it seems. I didn't want to come up w/ much more than 10 gallons, so that's why I settled on the ratio. Going with a field blend. I'm hoping this is much better than my 2016 Chileans.

Besides upping the Pinotage to 11 lugs I reserved 8 carmenere and 3 syrah. Field blend here on the Chilean as well.

Gino Pinto 2018 prices are posted:

http://ginopinto.com/south-african-chilean-wine-grape-juice-prices-march-2018/

 

[heatherd]

Well no better way to learn about em than to make one!

.....or all...

 

[mainshipfred]

You scared the bejesus outta me!!

Checking out that press too?

Sorry about that and yes I will be looking at the press as well. The interior basket is 12" D and 14.5" H. Mine is 10" D.

 

[mainshipfred]

Besides upping the Pinotage to 11 lugs I reserved 8 carmenere and 3 syrah. Field blend here on the Chilean as well.

Gino Pinto 2018 prices are posted:

http://ginopinto.com/south-african-chilean-wine-grape-juice-prices-march-2018/

Prices at Harford are similar. Harford wins SA Gino Pinto wins Chilean.

 

[baron4406]

Not terribly impressed from juice buckets anymore so I'm gonna try something radical this year. Get a juice bucket and freeze it, siphon off as much as juice as i can. Probably have around 4.5gals of concentrated juice-then two crushed lugs of grapes. Balance everything and see what happens.

 

[mainshipfred]

Not terribly impressed from juice buckets anymore so I'm gonna try something radical this year. Get a juice bucket and freeze it, siphon off as much as juice as i can. Probably have around 4.5gals of concentrated juice-then two crushed lugs of grapes. Balance everything and see what happens.

I think I like where you are going but I think I am a little unclear on how to siphon off frozen must.

 

[Ajmassa]

I’ve been through a bunch of different options for spring grapes now. It’s becoming the norm for me- to change my plan weekl and whichever plan I’m at when ordering time comes is the winner.
Falls field blend I did was fun but is limiting. New plan is to make one single varietal per season and blending in a few years. Multi vintage and multi country blends. As well as single varietals bottled. Can you say ‘Blending Party’?
Going Malbec split into 2 ferments. Different yeast and different malo. Aging separate. Combining most down the line. Thinking this would give me some more complexity. That’s the plan (for today)

 

[mainshipfred]

I’ve been through a bunch of different options for spring grapes now. It’s becoming the norm for me- to change my plan weekl and whichever plan I’m at when ordering time comes is the winner.

Good plan and don't question yourself afterwards.

 

[baron4406]

I think I like where you are going but I think I am a little unclear on how to siphon off frozen must.

Here is what inspired me to try this. I also grabbed a cheap wine kit for the "leftovers"

 

[Boatboy24]

Here is what inspired me to try this. I also grabbed a cheap wine kit for the "leftovers"

Pretty interesting. Feel bad for the guy, getting a Zin bucket at only 20 brix though.

 

[Ajmassa]

Pretty interesting. Feel bad for the guy, getting a Zin bucket at only 20 brix though.

He’s actually a member here now. @winepittsburgh
Has a pretty interesting website and YouTube channel as well.
Not sure if you recall a video shared here a while back demonstrating how to crush and destem using the milkcrate in bins - but that’s also from his YouTube channel.
That ‘freezing out the water from juice pails’ idea is clever as hell.