2022, What are your plans?

[NorCal]

I’m doing:
- 60 gallon barrel fermented Chardonnay
- 60 gallon barrel Cab Franc / estate Cab Sauv
- 20 gallons estate Zin
- 20 gallons estate Syrah

While I don’t have a good record of doing what I said I was going to do, I’m pretty confident this year .

What are your plans?

our Ameraucana chicken Henny Penny

 

[winemaker81]

I'm planning to start a 7 gallon Elderberry from concentrate in the next few weeks, and emulate a 6 gallon version of the WE Exotic Fruit kit, using either cherry or black raspberry as a base, with fresh/frozen pineapple, mango, and papaya.

Next fall? It will depend on the growing season and what grapes are available within our delivery window -- I'm east coast and my local group gets a single delivery of west coast grapes. I'd like to make what I planned for 2021 -- a southern Rhone style blend (Grenache based) and a Sangiovese based Italian blend. But I won't know what's available until late August / early September. Regardless of what I make, it will be two 8-lug batches, roughly 20 gallons each.

Starting last fall, we had the opportunity to buy juice buckets with the grape order. I had planned a Chardonnay, and will probably make that, a Sauvignon Blanc, or both. Alternately, Gino Pinto has a location in Richmond VA, and if the timing is right I'd like to get a bucket of Verdicchio.

 

[ChuckD]

Put an addition on the hose complete with dedicated basement wine room . Prepare an area for a small vineyard and Plant the first 24 vines. Make Strawberry rhubarb this summer, Wild Blackberry if this is a good year, apple, and pear if the neighbors tree has a good year.

gonna be a busy year!

 

[Jovimaple]

Double batch of WineXpert Apres Chocolate raspberry is on deck, and possibly an RJS Cru Specialty Toasted Caramel started at the same time.

While those are aging, I will probably start an Orchard Breezin' watermelon kit and then a peach one, as well.

That's all the kits I have at the moment, but I have a freezer full of peaches and raspberries. I want to add chocolate extract to some of the raspberry when I make it, and possibly some vanilla extract. For the peach wine, it depends upon how much I get since I want to try all juice. If I get enough, I may add some vanilla to part of that.

Skeeter Pee was a big hit around here last year, so I have plans to make another big batch of that. I made a key lime version that my friends loved, too. I just finished bottling another batch. I want to make pineapple and backsweeten with pina colada mix.

Edit to add tomato wine! I made a couple small batches last year, one batch from tomatoes I grew and one from tomatoes I got from someone else. So far, they have turned out (just bottled the first batch, second is aging). This means I also am doubling the amount of tomatoes I plant this spring!

That's all that I currently have planned.

I do need to work on clearing out storage space for the equipment and finished wines! Eventually, I would like to build a wine making area in our basement but that's a few years away, as it will require hiring a contractor to run water and drainage, etc. I don't like carrying full carboys up and down the stairs so only bottled wine goes downstairs now.

 

[ChuckD]

Oh yeah… and skeeter pee ASAP. The pineapple pina colada sounds dangerously good

 

[BarrelMonkey]

Good question and I'm still working on the answer. But so far...

(i) buy a crusher/destemmer, potentially some other gear as well
(ii) make some as yet unspecified amount of elderflower - definitely sparkling, maybe still as well
(iii) hopefully make 5 gal elderberry if my bird protection measures succeed
(iv) either 30 gal of non-pinot noir red, or 15-30 gal of something white.

 

[NorCal]

Ah...forgot about the Dragons Blood and Skeeter Pee. I always get requests for that, may have to add a carboy of that as well.

 

[CDrew]

So, still working on 2021, and for that matter have 30 gallons of 2020 not bottled yet. (This bottle shortage is a pain). But I'm thinking I need to cut production some more, or drink a lot more!. Storage space for 3-4 years of aging wine is a lot.

I think for 2022, I'm going to aim for 15-20 gallons each of Primitivo, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. The temptation is strong to over produce, but being realistic about storage space, I'm looking to bring production in to line with consumption/give aways.

 

[Denden5136]

I will plant 8 more vines to add to the existing 1 year old vineyard. Adding Grenache to go with the Zin, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah and Sauvignon Blanc.

Last year I did 6 different reds and all were pretty much "textbook" winemaking. In 2022 I want to be a bit more creative and have some fun experimenting.

I want to make a white this year - Pinot Grigio if possible, but I'm not picky. I just have to see what grapes are available.
I plan to get around 250 lbs of Pinot Noir and do Saignee to create 1/2 Pinot Noir (red) with the skins "doubled", and 1/2 rose. Will have to head up the road to Sonoma or Mendocino for the grapes.
Besides that, I'll do Cabernet Sauvignon from the vines on the parent's farm.
Oh, and peach wine - last year was the first try with a fruit wine and it was incredible! I back-sweetened it by about 1.5% - just enough to bring out the peach flavor a bit.

 

[mainshipfred]

Double batch of WineXpert Apres Chocolate raspberry is on deck, and possibly an RJS Cru Specialty Toasted Caramel started at the same time.

While those are aging, I will probably start an Orchard Breezin' watermelon kit and then a peach one, as well.

That's all the kits I have at the moment, but I have a freezer full of peaches and raspberries. I want to add chocolate extract to some of the raspberry when I make it, and possibly some vanilla extract. For the peach wine, it depends upon how much I get since I want to try all juice. If I get enough, I may add some vanilla to part of that.

Skeeter Pee was a big hit around here last year, so I have plans to make another big batch of that. I made a key lime version that my friends loved, too. I just finished bottling another batch. I want to make pineapple and backsweeten with pina colada mix.

That's all that I currently have planned.

I do need to work on clearing out storage space for the equipment and finished wines! Eventually, I would like to build a wine making area in our basement but that's a few years away, as it will require hiring a contractor to run water and drainage, etc. I don't like carrying full carboys up and down the stairs so only bottled wine goes downstairs now.

I'm not sure how handy you are but CPVC pipe is easy to run and readily available at Lowes or Home Depot. Drain lines are also easy, you just have to make sure it is vented properly. There are plenty of videos to show you how.

 

[mainshipfred]

First of all @NorCal you cracked me up about your track record and you'll get no argument from me. Hopefully the Southern Hemisphere crop will be better this year and I'll be able to get grapes. In 19 I made a Chilean Pinot Noir that came out very nice. A little darker than we get from the west coast. I have been making 8 - 10 and as much as 14 varietals but was thinking about cutting down and making larger quantities of less varietals. The hard part is figuring out which ones I want to eliminate. Space may start to become an issue. Right now I have about 230 gallons combined of 2020 to bottle and 2021 aging and going through MLF. In the past I have pretty much stuck to my guns with what I planned to make but afraid this year is going to be a little wishy washy.

 

[winemaker81]

Right now I have about 230 gallons combined of 2020 to bottle and 2021 aging and going through MLF. In the past I have pretty much stuck to my guns with what I planned to make but afraid this year is going to be a little wishy washy.

Infinite storage sounds great, but in my case (at least!) it would eventually produce a bad result.

I've reached a point where 5 gallons of a heavy red is totally insufficient. Currently I'm seeing 15 gallons as adequate ... but everything is subject to change.

 

[mainshipfred]

Infinite storage sounds great, but in my case (at least!) it would eventually produce a bad result.

I've reached a point where 5 gallons of a heavy red is totally insufficient. Currently I'm seeing 15 gallons as adequate ... but everything is subject to change.

15 or so gallons of each varietal was my goal in 2020 and 2021. I think that is a good amount to be able to drink, give away and still have some to age.

 

[CDrew]

15 or so gallons of each varietal was my goal in 2020 and 2021. I think that is a good amount to be able to drink, give away and still have some to age.

Ya - 15 gallon stainless keg is the new carboy.

 

[user 32114]

I’m doing:
- 60 gallon barrel fermented Chardonnay
- 60 gallon barrel Cab Franc / estate Cab Sauv
- 20 gallons estate Zin
- 20 gallons estate Syrah

While I don’t have a good record of doing what I said I was going to do, I’m pretty confident this year .

What are your plans?

our Ameraucana chicken Henny Penny
View attachment 82957

um with all due respect, she sure would make some good chicken an dumplings
Dawg

 

[winemanden]

My question is, how much do you guys and gals drink? A bottle a day = 365 bottles, leaving at least 400 bottles from 160 gallons. Do you give it away or ??? do you sell it.

I'm not a customs and excise man, just curious.

 

[winemaker81]

A bottle a day = 365 bottles, leaving at least 400 bottles from 160 gallons. Do you give it away or ??? do you sell it.

A thread for a few months ago revealed that many folks give away a large part of what they make.

Depending on the number of wine drinkers in the house, consuming a bottle per day is not a surprise. Plus cooking -- I'll add wine instead of water when making tacos.

 

[ChuckD]

I imagine many of the wine makers also have hundreds (thousands?) of bottles aging in their cellars. I know one gentleman who is approaching 2000 bottles in his collection... and as far as I know they are mostly purchased! He told me they do a lot of wine tourism and whenever they find something they like he purchases a case or two for the cellar. He has a spreadsheet to keep track of it all. Next time I see him I'll have to ask if he has plans for the wine that survives him because he couldn't consume it all if he lived to be 100.

I was shocked how quickly 60 bottles disappeared last year with just two smallish family parties and giveaways... everybody likes free wine!

 

[mainshipfred]

It takes me 2-3 days to drink a bottle of wine. I usually but not always have glass with dinner so that's around 130 bottles a year with probably 40% being bought wine. I don't keep track of how much I give away though I would think it's around 12-14 cases.

 

[user 32114]

My question is, how much do you guys and gals drink? A bottle a day = 365 bottles, leaving at least 400 bottles from 160 gallons. Do you give it away or ??? do you sell it.

I'm not a customs and excise man, just curious.

i am 61, as far as really drinking,, I quit when i was 30. but when my health went bad i was advised to drink red wine, heart doc,,, pulmonary doc,, nerve doc,, endocrinologist doc,, and 2 more i cant think of at this time, i got 18 oz wine glasses, and the doc's all sad 1 to 2 glasses daily, so 2 glasses is a fifth a day, they baulked on that, at which time i reminded all if them they said glasses, not ounces, so 2 glasses =1 fifth a day, but yes i do cover several people, one machine shop, i needed 2 thick walled aluminum poles for my fore cart, and buck board, i priced them they run close to $500 each, my 2 are thicker and longer, all drilled to fit, for a grand total of $80 for the pair ,, THAT DOG WILL HUNT,,,
Dawg