Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[grapeman]

To keep the nursery area weed-free? I am using a Troybuilt CRT Tiller and a hand hoe. It takes me about a half hour to run through with the tiller and then about 1.5-2hours for a pass through the 20 rows with the hoe(if I get the weeds when small). As the vines get larger, it gets harder to get through them with the tiller and a bit longer with the hoe.


Not sure about why your Frontenac and St Croix aren't as clean. I alternate sprays every spraying and as you can see, they get well covered.


Good luck with the rain. We were expecting 2-5 inches today, tonight through tomorrow and have gotten no rain at all from it yet. Keeping fingers crossed!


As a sidenote are you going to the upcoming Grape Conference in NH on I think August 6?
http://pss.uvm.edu/grape/

 

[AlFulchino]

I am thinking of going...i was told about it last week when i was talking w Andy Farmer of NE Vine Supply ( i am very please w his service thus far) and then today i got the invite from UNH...will you be there


and i know you have a ton of sand...please take my share of rain i am very serious about how bad it is here...the rain is very unusual last year and this year


I jave been using roundup for the in row weeds...are you also using the tiller for weeds up againstthe vines? or hand pulling?

 

[grapeman]

I don't think I will be able to go with my summer work schedule. If you go, look for Bob Stevens. He is a new grower with about an acre- with mostly Marquette. He is a very nice fellow. He said he was probably going since he lives just across the border from NH- in Vermont. If you would like to correspond with him I can give you his e-mail address. I just talked with him again this afternoon.


Yes we have mostly sand at this end of the farm- heavier loam on the main side of the farm where I will be expanding.


I used one application of Roundup toal in the vines so far- this spring before budbreak. I hand hoe when the weeds are small, but with the rain, they got ahead of me and I had to hand pull almost a mile of weeds this time. I have about 75 feet left to do if it ever stops raining. I still clean cultivate with a small disc harrow to "conserve moisture" for the vines- like that is needed!

 

[AlFulchino]

ok....so you weed like many of us mortals that is good to know
thank you


Edit by Appleman: I deleted your e-mail address from here for your security after sending it to him.



Edited by: appleman

 

[grapeman]

At the risk of appearing to pad my post count, I am copying my picture post from the last page for those who didn't notice it.


It has been a while since I posted much for pictures so I thought I would give you a bunch. In order to not take up too much space on our server here at FVW, I loaded some more to Photobucket and here is a link to a slideshow.



http://s268.photobucket.com/albums/jj31/appleman0006/Vineyard/July232008/?albumview=slideshow&start=20

 

[Wade E]

Youre not trying to catch up to me are you?

 

[geocorn]

appleman,


How do you have time for your day job? That is one h&$$ of a vineyard. I am duly impressed. I should have come down from Montreal to see your spread. Will definitely plan a side trip next time. I applaud your efforts.

 

[grapeman]

appleman,


How do you have time for your day job?

I was wondering that myself just yesterday. I spend about 2 hours an evening(or more) in the vineyard 5 days a week then 10 hours each on Sat &Sunfor about 30 hours a week. Then 2 days a week I spend 10 hours each at Willboro tending Vineyard and High Tunnel Greenhouse there for Cornell. That's 50 hours total so far. That leaves 3 work days for my dayjob of 10 hours each for another 30 hours. That's 80 hours a week total.


So I guess it's like all the rest of your schedules- very busy!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Thanks for the Slide Show...always enjoy looking at your grapes.

How highs the water?????
You could quit hogging all the rain out there!!!!!....I see now how you can grow such good crops on that sand, lots of moisture.

 

[Waldo]

WOW......very impressive vineyard appleman

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Enjoyed the pics Appleman, looks like your labor of love is going to payoff handsomely. By the way, have you tried any of the wine from last fall? Impressions?

 

[grapeman]

Yes I have tasted them. Impressions? Of course..................... but then I may be prejudiced. So far the favorites for me and others are... Whites-
Petite Amie, LaCrescent, LaCrosse - Reds- Sabrevois, Marquette. One of these days, I will have a wine tasting and try to get proper notes from participants.


In general, the whites are best when sweetened just a bit bringing upt to about 1.002-1.004 brings the fruitiness out and they take on a Riesling type character, but with more pronounced fruit. The acid balance is great.


The reds are good dry and I went a bit heavy on oak, but it is mellowing. I will give descriptors at a later time.

 

[swillologist]

Thanks for the pictures appleman. Your vineyard looks great.
We had a storm come through the other night. It had 80 mph wind and itpushed some of my arbor over some. When the boy gets home this weekend we will stand them back up straight. It never quites rain here either appleman. It seems to rain every other day. NW you can have some of ours. It's a lot closer.

 

[Waldo]

You need you a couple of these appleman
http://www.winepod.net/products/winepod-and-winecoach.aspx

 

[grapeman]

The person that developed this is currently working on a higher end product for the serious to "professional" winemaker. He is looking at $4-5000 price range or more. I don't think any of them are in the cards for me right away! Can you say George Jetson?

 

[grapeman]

Is anybody else getting hammered with the rain again? I would gladly send NW a few inches again if I could. Since yesterday at noon we have had over three inches of rain again. Almost the monthly average in the first two or three days of the month.... again! The weekend started productively until noon and then we had a few showers. Then again at 2:00 and then at 4:00 it got serious. We had two inches of rain in less than an hour. It has been lightly raining all day with a few heavier showers. If the grapes don't get full of fungal disease before harvest it will be a miracle!

 

[Wade E]

Sorry to hear about that buddy, I havent gotten any down this way today but got hammered yesterday right after I set up all my tools outside to do a side job. Every time I get a side job it is clear skies until my tools are set up then bang! Not much at my house but could use some so send it this way as my lawn needs it and so does my car since it hasnt seen a cr wash in quite some time.

 

[Bert]

You seem to have a very green thumb when it comes to grapes Appleman...I bet they will be alright...hopes so anyway....Good luck

 

[grapeman]

So far they are fine Bert. I don't have any great aversion to using properly used, properly applied sprays. The folks around this area that like to be all organic are in a great deal of trouble this year.

 

[geocorn]

Please, please, please, feel free to send ALL of it our way. 9 days in a row over 100 with no end in sight. Ready to go back to Montreal.