2018 Grape Season Underway

[pgentile]

That's my work around.

The first few times I made wine from grapes, I de-stemmed by hand and crushed with a 2x4, took hours to do a few lugs. Then tried to de-stem with a crate and found it too slow and cumbersome. The next several batches. I put whole clusters in brutes and again crushed with a 2x4 then pulled out stems for the first several day of primary. Now I have a crusher and crush into brutes and pull out stems during primary for a few days. By the time I get to press there are no stems in the must. I have had no vegetal aspects in the wine from this process. A few here have tasted my SA cab and south philly Bordeaux that were done with crushing without de-stemming immediately and then picking them out for several days during primary.

 

[Boatboy24]

Or grab yourself some milk crates

Fred has milk crates.

 

[TemperanceOwl]

Neat workaround for a small batch! Thanks!
Pgentile, how many were you trying to do when you found the milk crate method to cumbersome? I'd be doing around 130 lbs.

 

[pgentile]

Neat workaround for a small batch! Thanks!
Pgentile, how many were you trying to do when you found the milk crate method to cumbersome? I'd be doing around 130 lbs.

It was closer to 350lbs, the crate things works and shouldn't be a big deal with 130lbs.

 

[Johnd]

Thanks but isn't frozen must more expensive then grapes? Even though we cry and whine about how far we have to travel for grapes I think we have easier access then you.

Typically, it is more expensive than fresh.

 

[ibglowin]

But its also crushed and destemmed thus dropping a lot of weight and waste which would bring it more closer to fresh once you treated them the same way (comparing apples to apples as the old saying goes)

Typically, it is more expensive than fresh.

 

[Boatboy24]

Just an update for those of you who have access to some of the same grapes I do. Last fall, I splurged on a few lugs of El Dorado Pinot Noir. Moved it into the barrel this afternoon and, of course, tasted a sample. It is totally worth it already. Don't recall what it is going for this year, but I think I paid $69/lug last year. I'd do it again happily.

 

[Ajmassa]

El Dorado Pinot Noir. ........ Don't recall what it is going for this year, but I think I paid $69/lug last year. I'd do it again happily.

$74

 

[jgmann67]

I just checked Keystone's prices, really high and there lower priced grapes are from the Central Valley like Procacci and Mitchellville. Still waiting on S&S.

So I emailed the guy at Mitchellville and he emailed me right back. I like that.

Whatever I’m going to do, I’m pulling the trigger tomorrow.

 

[Boatboy24]

So I emailed the guy at Mitchellville and he emailed me right back. I like that.

Whatever I’m going to do, I’m pulling the trigger tomorrow.

Jim Gearing? Yep - I was emailing with him all last week - super responsive. And folks may or may not like this about the club, but they charge an extra dollar or so per lug/bucket that goes to the church and nursing home that helps support their pickups w/ parking lot usage, etc. So a small part of your purchase goes to 'charity'.

 

[jgmann67]

Jim Gearing? Yep - I was emailing with him all last week - super responsive. And folks may or may not like this about the club, but they charge an extra dollar or so per lug/bucket that goes to the church and nursing home that helps support their pickups w/ parking lot usage, etc. So a small part of your purchase goes to 'charity'.

That’s a plus in my ledger.

 

[mainshipfred]

Jim Gearing? Yep - I was emailing with him all last week - super responsive. And folks may or may not like this about the club, but they charge an extra dollar or so per lug/bucket that goes to the church and nursing home that helps support their pickups w/ parking lot usage, etc. So a small part of your purchase goes to 'charity'.

I asked him if people bring wine to the pick up and he told me "we bring wine to everythng" so I imagine it's a party in the parking lot. I know it will be the same or similar but will be interesting discussing wine making with a different group of people.

 

[TemperanceOwl]

I asked him if people bring wine to the pick up and he told me "we bring wine to everythng" so I imagine it's a party in the parking lot. I know it will be the same or similar but will be interesting discussing wine making with a different group of people.

That sounds like fun! Are all of you up in CT, PA, and MD?
I'm in northeast TN, close to VA and NC, and I haven't found any suppliers within driving distance.

 

[mainshipfred]

That sounds like fun! Are all of you up in CT, PA, and MD?
I'm in northeast TN, close to VA and NC, and I haven't found any suppliers within driving distance.

It does sound like fun doesn't it. You got it for the locales and also NJ. This may not be driving distance either, 5-6 hours. I just googled it.

 

[jgareri]

$74View attachment 50676

In Canada we are getting some and I have 3 lugs on order. I'm excited that it's worthwhile. As a side note, were paying $93 Canadian for them

 

[pgentile]

Check out Presque Isle Wine price list. Lot's of local grapes and juices. They only offer 4 kinds of CV Cali grapes, prices are a little high for those. They ferment what they don't sell and offer "young wine" per gal.. They still have Australian juice buckets available for shipping. The Gruner Veltliner grapes must be popular, they are sold out, and with Pinot Gris and Reisling are the most expensive of the local stuff.

https://www.piwine.com/media/piwc-juice-grapes/2018-retail-harvest-order-form.pdf

 

[gitmo234]

I'm holding out with Fred a bit, but either way I'm doing enough for about 20 gallons of Tempranillo and maybe (just maybe) a smaller batch of something else.

 

[mainshipfred]

Check out Presque Isle Wine price list. Lot's of local grapes and juices. They only offer 4 kinds of CV Cali grapes, prices are a little high for those. They ferment what they don't sell and offer "young wine" per gal.. They still have Australian juice buckets available for shipping. The Gruner Veltliner grapes must be popular, they are sold out, and with Pinot Gris and Reisling are the most expensive of the local stuff.

https://www.piwine.com/media/piwc-juice-grapes/2018-retail-harvest-order-form.pdf

Prices are a bit high but I like they have a futures report. Too far for me to go though.

 

[pgentile]

Prices are a bit high but I like they have a futures report. Too far for me to go though.

Same here, just thought it interesting

 

[jgmann67]

Well, I pulled the trigger this morning and put my order in with the Washington Winemakers. Going with 4 lugs and a bucket of OVZ. That should make about 5 cases of decent wine.

I've been toying with the idea of adding some berries (blackberries and raspberries) to a wine. Thoughts?