Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[Wade E]

Would be awesome, you need to set up over here so I can help you clean up all your over run!

 

[Waldo]

So maybe we all need to pool our resources/talents, buy up the property and open us a wine commune and a winery to sustain everyone.

 

[Wade E]

Hey, Rich can design the place and I know a few of us can build the darn thing! Rich cn teach us all how to grow the vines, we will need some hunters to get us some food and Waldo can take them out with the rocks from the land from what I hear.

 

[grapeman]

There is a lot of talent here on the board also for growing veggies and small fruits. Smurfe and others can brew beer and it will be the happiest darned place around.

 

[Wade E]

Lets pick a place over by Jobe where the weather is decent all year round. Im tired of these heating bills and dont want to be sweating all year round either. Jobe how much land do you own?

 

[grapeman]

Hey do you guys remember this picture from a month or so ago?

Those two little gallon carbabies (thnks NW for the term) are filled with LaCrosse wine as are a few carboys.


They were these grapes

As grapes they are very juicy and taste a bit bland and acidic. I wish I had a picture of the wine . I drew off a 375 ml bottle out of my top-up gallon jug. It has cleared as good as it ever got last year (very clear). I brought it in at dinner time and sweetened the same as this summer when I sweetened and bottled the LaCrosse from last year at Willsboro. They had been picked a bit early last year, but I ldft on the vines until they were extremely juicy.


How is this early wine? IMPRESSIVE!!!!! I honestly think this is the best white wine I have made to date!!!! The flavors are astounding - apples, pears and guava abound. The body is fairly good, but could be improved just a bit. I have just the wine for that task. the Adalmiina (ES 6-16-30) will take care of that task with an addition of about 10% and that will even add a touch of pineapple.


All you guys out there growing your own grapes are going to have FUN when they get bearing well. Make the best wine you can from a particular grape noting its strong and weak points. Then grab another wine that will compliment it and mix away! It doesn't take a lot of a secondary wine to improve on the strong points of the original.

 

[Wade E]

We dont believe you, you are going to have to send each and every 1 of us a bottle to prove yourself!

 

[grapeman]

Better yet, each and every one of you will have to stop up next year for a tasting. Then again, maybe I should send George down a bunch of samples for the upcoming Winestock.

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Great to have such a selection to complement the other when blending. Sounds like you hit a home run on this one!

 

[K&GB]

Appleman, I was expecting a before and after picture. Nice description though. Let us know how the blend turns out. Congratulations andCheers!

 

[grapeman]

Yeah I should have gotten an after picture, but when you have seen one empty glass you have seen them all

Seriosly though, I didn't have a camera with me when I stopped in the winery to snag a little bottle. I had a bottle with me in the treestand to stay warm (and it did work some) and decided to stop in and get a little bottle on the way by because the top up bottle is half empty and I don't want it oxydized. It was just a bonus that it turned out so good!

 

[BonnieJoy]

Cab Franc - 1 yr

Traminette - 1 yr

Vidal - 2 yr

 

[NorthernWinos]

Wish I could grow better varieties and have more choices.....

No shortage of land to grow things on, but don't want to get in over my head....Really have too much to look after already....so will continue with the fruits and hardy grapes and try to make do with what we have going.....

 

[grapeman]

Bonnie the first row near the camera in this picture is Traminette and the second row behind it is Cab Franc. They are both 2nd year. I hope yours look like that at the end of next year. I left enough vines to prune whichever method I decide will work best. The Cab Franc has much more upright growth, although the Traminette is more vigorous. This end of the rows is the driest on the farm so the vines are smaller than at the other end. I like the grass in your pictures- I have snow instead!

Edited by: appleman

 

[BonnieJoy]

Thanks Richard. Sometime in the Spring the retirement cottage will be ready and I can finally givemy little vines the TLC they deserve. I canwatch the vines grow right from from the dining room table.

 

[grapeman]

That will be really nice Bonnie. I bet you can't wait for that. I know I can look out my office windows and see the vineyard. Some days I swear you can see the vines growing in the spring.

 

[farmer]

I look out the family room picture window directlly at my vineyard . I really enjoy the view in the morning. It is located along the driveway so is always a topic for conversation for anyone stopping in.

 

[BonnieJoy]

There isn't anything much more beautiful than a well manicured vineyard. How lovely your views must be. It just happened that the prime planting site runs North to South, adjacent & parallelto the county road and perpendicular to our driveway. Neighbors have been curious enough to stop to ask questions about all of those posts in the ground. Some were excited about the vineyard and offered to help harvest. Of course, they're expected wine refreshments from last year's vintage as they work

West side of cottage. Vineyard on right and my car in the drive on the left:

View from Dining Room window:

 

[Wade E]

Looking good Bonnie!

 

[BonnieJoy]

Northern - Your fruits & veggies are awesome!!!!! I have immensley enjoyed seeing the photos on your posts. I don't know how you keep up with all that you've got. My small raised bed veggie gardens & those 75 vines kept me plenty busy this Summer and they'repostage stamp sized compared to yours. All the wine experts say to match the grape varieties to your conditions so you're definitley doing the right thing staying with cold hardy types.