2023, What are your plans?

[StimVino]

This year I'm planning on doing a few red blends:
Super Tuscan Blend (80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc)

Cabernet Franc Blend (50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot)

Plan for Ordering Grapes is the following:
Sangiovese - 7 lugs
Cabernet Franc - 7 lugs
Cabernet Sauvignon - 5 lugs
Merlot - 2 lugs

(Should get me approx. 45 gal | 227 bottles | 19 cases for fall winemaking)

Considering purchasing extra of the Cabernet Franc to experiment with 100% fruit. I've not used this variety, but had an excellent bottle recently that got me excited to work with it. I already purchased Lavin BM 4x4 yeast and Im considering Enoferm Beta ML Bacteria. Have future plans to purchase (2) 56L Balazs Barrels, but probably not in the cards this year so will stick with oak alternatives for now.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[winemaker81]

Since my post in December, we've changed plans.

• 8 lugs Cabernet Sauvignon
• 8 lugs Sangiovese OR Montepulciano Cabernet Franc

The McGregor Rob Roy Red that my son & I love is 50% CF, 30% CS, and 20% Merlot. We were considering 1 lug each of Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec as a blending wine for the above, but I'm considering switching to 2 lugs Merlot and 1 lug Petit Verdot (Bordeaux Blend), and the final blends would be roughly:

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Bordeaux Blend
60% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Bordeaux Blend

Anything leftover will be Frankenwine.

If I can lay hands on 100 lb of Chambourcin or Marechal Foch, I'll make that.

I don't drink a lot of white and have 3 total cases of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. If I can lay hands on Vidal or Chardonnel, I'll make a carboy, otherwise I'll probably skip whites this fall.


EDIT: I just had a brain fart -- instead of a "Bordeaux Blend", I may make 3 lugs of Merlot for blending. Note that the percentages are guesses -- reality may be a bit different.

 

[StimVino]

The McGregor Rob Roy Red that my son & I love is 50% CF, 30% CS, and 20% Merlot.

I must have got that idea from you. Never had McGregor Rob Roy, but the blend sounds great so Im going for it! Thanks for the idea. The other blend that I’m doing is a Tignanello - also very good.

 

[distancerunner]

We need to poll our buying group members.

We'll be bottling in a few weeks.

That should be a good time, and a good time to start the discussion.

 

[Nebbiolo020]

My 2023 plans started off being mundane planning for about 70 gallons of wine total then I became a co owner of a new winery and basically I’m going to get to work with several tons of Cabernet Sauvignon this fall and it’s going to be fun I am excited to no longer work for a corporate winery and to own my own operation and not have to answer to corporate higher ups will allow more flexibility in wine styles and allow me to make what I want to make versus being told what to make to meet a quota.

I will still be making the 70 gallons of wine at home though on top of everything else planning for some Grenache and some Cabernet Franc as I have done Syrah 2 years in a row have 2022 Syrah in a 30 gallon barrel right now.

 

[ChuckD]

My 2023 plans started off being mundane planning for about 70 gallons of wine total then I became a co owner of a new winery and basically I’m going to get to work with several tons of Cabernet Sauvignon this fall and it’s going to be fun I am excited to no longer work for a corporate winery and to own my own operation and not have to answer to corporate higher ups will allow more flexibility in wine styles and allow me to make what I want to make versus being told what to make to meet a quota.

I will still be making the 70 gallons of wine at home though on top of everything else planning for some Grenache and some Cabernet Franc as I have done Syrah 2 years in a row have 2022 Syrah in a 30 gallon barrel right now.

Congratulations . I hope to hear more about your new winemaking adventures in the future. How big is this winery? Are you also responsible for the vineyard management?

 

[Nebbiolo020]

Congratulations . I hope to hear more about your new winemaking adventures in the future. How big is this winery? Are you also responsible for the vineyard management?

We’re starting small but we have money to play with so we’re trying to decide how big we want to scale the operation, honestly we are space limited so we’re probably only going to do 1500-2,000 cases at the start but are building an addition to add more production space but that will take time, we have space for probably triple that currently around 6,000-6500 cases but we decided to start small and take it slow so we don’t stretch ourselves too thin and bite off more than we can work with initially.

We are planting grapes but they will not be ready till about 2026-2027 so we are buying grapes from other wineries to make our wines untill then but I will be managing the vineyard as I have experience but my business partner doesn’t have experience with vineyard management.

 

[ChuckD]

We’re starting small but we have money to play with so we’re trying to decide how big we want to scale the operation, honestly we are space limited so we’re probably only going to do 1500-2,000 cases at the start but are building an addition to add more production space but that will take time, we have space for probably triple that currently around 6,000-6500 cases but we decided to start small and take it slow so we don’t stretch ourselves too thin and bite off more than we can work with initially.

We are planting grapes but they will not be ready till about 2026-2027 so we are buying grapes from other wineries to make our wines untill then but I will be managing the vineyard as I have experience but my business partner doesn’t have experience with vineyard management.

Sounds like this could warrant its own thread!

 

[Nebbiolo020]

Sounds like this could warrant its own thread!

It might, I may have to make one closer to harvest season and detail everything might even be able to post some photos of some fruit and etc.

 

[distancerunner]

It might, I may have to make one closer to harvest season and detail everything might even be able to post some photos of some fruit and etc.

Congratulations.

Many WMT members would like to see you start a thread detailing your journey.

 

[mainshipfred]

I did some rough calcs and if I did my numbers correctly it appears to take 30 ton to get 1500 cases, not exactly what I would call small.

 

[Nebbiolo020]

I did some rough calcs and if I did my numbers correctly it appears to take 30 ton to get 1500 cases, not exactly what I would call small.

Approximately yeah, I consider it small having worked for a 50,000 case winery which was borderline automated for bottling and etc. And that was the small facility the big new one is all automated they got robots that bottle wine and load trucks and stuff. That was too big for me.

 

[JustJoe]

All plans are out. Rabbits skinned the bark off of most of my vines this winter. I'll be lucky to get enough to make a 5 gallon batch. Don't know if I should try to start again.

 

[ChuckD]

All plans are out. Rabbits skinned the bark off of most of my vines this winter. I'll be lucky to get enough to make a 5 gallon batch. Don't know if I should try to start again.

. You don’t think They will come back?

 

[JustJoe]

too soon to be sure but they would need to come from a new shoot and that means a couple of years with no grapes.

 

[ChuckD]

Bummer. If they are older plants they should push up some good growth and catch up pretty quickly. I had deer nip a few of my one year old vines to the ground this winter. I’m probably back to square one on those.

 

[vinny]

Bummer. If they are older plants they should push up some good growth and catch up pretty quickly. I had deer nip a few of my one year old vines to the ground this winter. I’m probably back to square one on those.

Deer is delicious..... Just sayin!

 

[ChuckD]

Deer is delicious..... Just sayin!

Copy that. Had some for dinner yesterday.

I’m planning a fence around the vineyard… I’m overrun with deer, turkeys, and raccoons.

 

[Shurt1073]

Most of God's little creatures go well with God's little vegetables at the table .... just sayin'.

 

[Denden5136]

Everyone seems so organized so early.
The last 2 years have been smaller batches and doing more experimentation. This year will be fewer varieties and application of everything learnt to date (some in class, some the hard way).

For now, the plan is:
20+ gallons of Grenache
20+ gallons of Pinot Noir
20+ of Cabernet Sauvignon
10+ of a white. Last year did Sauvignon Blanc and it has turned out wonderful
a mixture of my 3 year old vines (Zin, Mourvedure, Petite Sirah) - probably about around 5 gallons
possibly 10+ gallons of Charbono just because I can

.... wait a minute. I thought I said I plan to do fewer varieties.... I guess I'll have to rethink this.