2018 Growing Season. How was yours?

[NorCal]

I help manage the 20 acre vineyard for our community in the Sierra Foothills in Nor Cal. We had the latest harvest on record and also the largest. The somewhat over cropped Mourvedre struggled to reach 25 brix, but it was the last to get there.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

I help manage the 20 acre vineyard for our community in the Sierra Foothills in Nor Cal. We had the latest harvest on record and also the largest. The somewhat over cropped Mourvedre struggled to reach 25 brix, but it was the last to get there.

So, help me understand, this is a community owned and operated vineyard? Do you harvest as a group and then divide the harvest? Or do you have a community winery as well? It's an interesting concept.

 

[CDrew]

Interested as well!

 

[NorCal]

So, help me understand, this is a community owned and operated vineyard? Do you harvest as a group and then divide the harvest? Or do you have a community winery as well? It's an interesting concept.

It is a community of 88 homes. All the grape varieties are French as well as the look and feel of the community. Everyone has vines in their front yards, as well as 4 larger vineyards around the community. The grapes (including those in the front yards) are owned by the community and sold to local wineries and home winemakers (1,000 lb minimum). We harvested around 58 tons last year. It’s a real working vineyard. The revenue goes back into the community to offset the dues.

Here is a video drone tour of a house that was for sale, but shows the community pretty well.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

Very nice community!

 

[CabEnthusiast]

It is a community of 88 homes. All the grape varieties are French as well as the look and feel of the community. Everyone has vines in their front yards, as well as 4 larger vineyards around the community. The grapes (including those in the front yards) are owned by the community and sold to local wineries and home winemakers (1,000 lb minimum). We harvested around 58 tons last year. It’s a real working vineyard. The revenue goes back into the community to offset the dues.

Here is a video drone tour of a house that was for sale, but shows the community pretty well.

Nice

 

[JimInNJ]

From News12 New Jersey:

It’s official – 2018 was the wettest year in the Garden State on record.

Climatologists say that New Jersey saw over 64 inches of rain on average statewide this year, which is almost 20 inches above normal.

“2018 is going to go into the record books as the wettest year on record in New Jersey, and we have records back to 1895,” says State Climatologist Dr. David Robinson.

Robinson says that nine out of the 12 months this year saw an above-average rainfall, with September through November setting the record for the wettest fall on record in the state.

 

[Lando545]

Extreme heat in Texas for the 2018 season. had about 2 weeks straight of 100 plus farenheit last summer and a pretty good drought. The grapes were inedible but made some good jelly. My profile pic is some of my heat treated harvest.

 

[JimInNJ]

Lando545, what color were those grapes supposed to be, and when did you harvest? My Cab Franc wasn't a whole lot darker than that when the frosts shut down the vines in late October. Photosynthesis doesn't work well in the 100s, or without the sun.

 

[Lando545]

Lando545, what color were those grapes supposed to be, and when did you harvest? My Cab Franc wasn't a whole lot darker than that when the frosts shut down the vines in late October. Photosynthesis doesn't work well in the 100s, or without the sun.

Well they were suppose to be flame seedless but they had seeds. I don't know if its common for seedless grapes to have seeds/remnants of seeds? So now I'm not sure what variety they are. Bought some that were suppose to be Thompson seedless but came out purple as well.

I had to harvest early because Birds, Ants, and Wasps started wreaking havoc on them. I think I cut them late July early August.

I'm experimenting with some Champanel now which was bred for the Texas Hill Country.