Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[mgmarty]

At least everything is staying dormant! My vines were all leafed out on April 6th last year, and froze all back. Things are looking better this year, even if I wake to a little snow in the mornings.

 

[grapeman]

Hi Grapeman, just want to say I have learned a lot by reading your posts. In this picture, what is the row orientation? Just curious because I'm evaluating approximately 3.5 acres of my property for an acre planting, but the problem is that the contiguous space is wooded. from that pic it looks like you are surrounded by woods. My propety is also surrounded by 8,000 plus acres of pine/oak forest to the west-southwest.

Yes that vineyard is surrounded by woods and is not ideal but it works. That's where I came up with the vineyard name of Hid-In-Pines Vineyard. The rows run east-west instead of the often quoted ideal of north south. I really don't find much difference from that vineyard to another one I have running north-south. I would rather have longer rows running the other direction that many more shorter rows going n-s.

 

[grapeman]

I haven't posted in quite a while but I wanted to note a couple things. First off here we are August 23rd and I checked the brix level of the Marquette this afternoon. It is running in the high teens at 18 to 19 brix. Target harvest brix is 26 to 28. I have never had it ripen so quickly or early.

Secondly and more importantly, this thread is listed as Champlain Valley - Grapeman's vineyard. The Champlain Valley is a geographic region around Lake Champlain which is straddled by New York, Vermont and Quebec. About 5 years ago a few of us beginning wineries and vineyards here in the Champlain Valley of New York started working on the idea of a new AVA (American Viticultural Area). This is submitted to the federal governing agency, the TTB following their guidelines. After a number of months of heavy paperwork the petition was submitted on behalf of the Lake Champlain Grape Growers Association. After about a year the paperwork was considered perfected and published for a comment period. Since there were no comments it was passed onto a final review where it passed through. Then after almost a year of waiting this morning I received notice that The Champlain Valley of New York AVA will be official one month from yesterday.

This is significant because now the growers here can use that designation on the label to build our own reputation for the wines here. Previously I had to designate my wine as New York State wine along with a few hundred other vineyards. When people see the label they assumed it was from the Finger Lakes and I just repackaged it. I am excited about the possibilities that this opens up to us.

 

[ibglowin]

Congrats Rich!

Looks like all the hard work paid off. Will you order new labels immediately or use up all old stock first than add the AVA designation on to a new label order in the future?

 

[GreginND]

Our Marquette is already at 22 brix!!! Way early for us. The pH is at 2.75. I need those acids to drop.

 

[Johny99]

Congratulation! That is an achievement. When Lake Chelan received their AVA a couple of years ago, one of the wineries on a bit of a shoestring budget added gold medallion stickers to their bottles in lieu of buying new labels. I think it actually helped announce the AVA. Anyway, great job working the system.

 

[grapeman]

I use a Primera Label printer and print all our own labels in house now for the last year or so and also the Primera double label applicator. The downside is it uses a LOT of ink, but is still less money than buying them.

 

[chrisvt]

I haven't posted in quite a while but I wanted to note a couple things. First off here we are August 23rd and I checked the brix level of the Marquette this afternoon. It is running in the high teens at 18 to 19 brix. Target harvest brix is 26 to 28. I have never had it ripen so quickly or early.

That's incredible, Rich. We're not that far from you and just barely finished verasion, putting us pretty much on pace from last year, maybe a little ahead. We didn't hit 19 Brix until the first week in September.

Did you do something different with the canopy management this year?

 

[TonyR]

Congratulations, do any of you'll have a Sea Serpent on anyones label?

 

[grapeman]

Sorry Tony no Champ used yet,

Chris nothing different here for canopy management except we heavily used Japanese Beatles to thin the top layer of leaves over the clusters. LOL

 

[louannamullins]

jim

been trying to get on here for two or three years. never ever seen such a mess. my wife has just registered and it works so im talking on the wifes post. im getting ready to put in six rows of vines and twelve per row in montrose colorado zone five as i understand, just moved here. this is a brother in laws little vinyard so he s interested in table grapes and the wife wants wine grapes. im looking at the minnisota hybrids as it can reach twenty below and the growing season is 150 days were at five thousand feet. i really enjoy this thread

 

[berrycrush]

..t except we heavily used Japanese Beatles to thin the top layer of leaves over the clusters. LOL

Same here, I didn't spray any Sevin this year, and I wished they eat a little more leaves!