ANYONE INTRESTED IN A 60 GALLON DRUM OF JUICE?

[kevinlfifer]

California Wine Grapes (Detroit) ordered 2 drums for me but they had to take a pallet of 4 drums as a minimum. SO there is a drum of Syrah and a drum of Grenache available. $495 each. Reach out to me or them if you are interested. I can help transport from their location to you (within reason) on my trailer.

FYI
I am trying 120 gal of a GSM.
Recipe:
60 Gal Syrah
60 Gal Grenache
200 lbs Alicante grapes

My wife is gonna kill me

 

[crushday]

Kevin, I hope your will and life insurance are up to date...lol

I'm always confused why juice is so cheap. I frequently ferment drums of frozen grapes. My average yield of wine from a drum is about 35 gallons. I'd need 1.5 drums to produce the volume of juice you receive per drum. And, the cost of a drum of frozen grapes averages $1500 - some more and some less depending on the variety and AVA.

Last year a drum of frozen Syrah grapes from Knights Valley California cost me $1650. This means I'm paying $2475 for what you're paying $495 for in comparative finished wine volume.

That makes no sense to me... I'd like a bottle of your wine made from juice to compare - lol...

But, seriously, do you have an explanation?

 

[mainshipfred]

It has always puzzled me as well. On a smaller scale it takes 3 lugs to get 6 gallons and a little more. We pay an average of $40 - $45 per lug and a juice bucket is about $60. When you but frozen must the price is even higher. I could never understand why unless it's shipping, storage and handling.

 

[distancerunner]

Where are you getting lugs for forty five in twenty two?

 

[mainshipfred]

Where are you getting lugs for forty five in twenty two?

It's our Washington Winemaker's Group. With the exception of a few they are all under $45. I'm not sure the numbers for this year but our order usually fills 2 tractor trailers.

 

[crushday]

It has always puzzled me as well. On a smaller scale it takes 3 lugs to get 6 gallons and a little more. We pay an average of $40 - $45 per lug and a juice bucket is about $60. When you but frozen must the price is even higher. I could never understand why unless it's shipping, storage and handling.

LOL, this is a complete hijack of the OP...

The grapes I'm buying, both frozen and fresh, are from notable vineyards and AVAs. For instance, I bought three drums of Merlot last year of frozen grapes from Sonoma and the vineyard was Glen Oaks Ranch. Bottles of wine from this vineyard average over $80. The resulting wine is going to be awesome and shows that now. Still have another year in the barrel but it's developing nicely.

 

[distancerunner]

It's our Washington Winemaker's Group. With the exception of a few they are all under $45. I'm not sure the numbers for this year but our order usually fills 2 tractor trailers.

That explains it.

I thought we were stepping it up by ordering a a couple of bins this year with our new buying group. We’re going to have to eat some Wheaties to get to forty tons.

 

[kevinlfifer]

Kevin, I hope your will and life insurance are up to date...lol

I'm always confused why juice is so cheap. I frequently ferment drums of frozen grapes. My average yield of wine from a drum is about 35 gallons. I'd need 1.5 drums to produce the volume of juice you receive per drum. And, the cost of a drum of frozen grapes averages $1500 - some more and some less depending on the variety and AVA.

Last year a drum of frozen Syrah grapes from Knights Valley California cost me $1650. This means I'm paying $2475 for what you're paying $495 for in comparative finished wine volume.

That makes no sense to me... I'd like a bottle of your wine made from juice to compare - lol...

But, seriously, do you have an explanation?

This juice is from CA, I think some vineyards grow more than they can ferment and juice processors get those grapes pretty cheap. If you use juice only, it makes a pretty thin wine. I add about 4 lugs of grapes to each drum.

I also cut and toast my own oak and I think that makes a huge difference.

I'll gladly send you a bottle or 2. Right now I really don't have any inventory I'm particularly proud of. I'll have some Chilean blend to bottle in a couple of weeks and that is juice only. So far so good.

 

[kevinlfifer]

The Alicante grapes in Detroit are $45/lug