Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[Wade E]

Looking good Appleman. Wish I had the land or the right colored thumb to do that!

 

[OilnH2O]

Those look great, Rich! Now when you prune those "dead" ones like NW suggested, don't save them for me! I've "been there...etc."


Dave

 

[grapeman]

Dave I'm sure I will be pruning off some stuff that isn't dead. Also I do have some vines that I had in the nursery this last year that didn't root quickly. I'm sure I wouldn't miss a few of those. I have another 100 vines coming this spring and 200 more cuttings to root from Double A. Hoping the rest of the winter isn't bad- I've gotten used to the warm weather!

 

[Wade E]

Thats a lot of vines Ap! You planning on starting your own winery or maybe start selling grapes?

 

[grapeman]

Wade I am keeping my options open at this point. I have access to my brother's produce stand operation that I began in 1974. A lot depends on how well things do here growing. I'm in it for the enjoyment. If there is a surplus I will market through the stand. I won't say never to the winery, but it would be small if at all.

 

[NorthernWinos]

As the vineyard expands we will call you Vineman...or Grapeman ...or????

 

[grapeman]

NW how about"grappleman" or "tendrils" or .......

 

[NorthernWinos]

By next summer and the vines grow....Grappleman will work...

 

[grapeman]

Now that's a play on words if I ever heardone. At first I thought you meant I could use the name grappleman and then I said - No. With all those grape vines to tend, Grappleman will WORK!

 

[grapeman]

I got my first shipment of cuttings from Double A today. I got 50 Traminette and 50 Corot Noir cuttings. I had rigged up a spot to callus them. I filled 2 trays with the zipsets and filled them with potting soil. Placed that on a 4 foot folding table(plastic topped) and put one of the oil filled heaters under it. I will monitor the soil tem to try to maintain 80-85 degrees. Hoping they root well. The Corot Noir grapes are a new variety from Cornell and Double A was out of supply last summer when I ordered them. They did have cuttings, so I snatched up 50 of them. They are fairly hardy and should make a nice addition to the vineyard. The Traminettes will make a nice white addition. To be coninued...........

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

First shipment makes it sound like there will be a second or morel. Do you have the space available, or will you be clearing and stumping? The size of your vineyard is getting impressive, I have to admit! You must be having fun by now

I'll be expanding by only 8 Marquette vines and then will be max'ed out. But we just started keeping bees, so I don't think I will be short of outside work with the small orchard we planted, the garden all summer, the vines and hopefully the bees to pollinate everything. Home produced honey sounds very good too.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Sounds good guys.....Sure getting anxious to get out and see how things wintered over....Will be a long time before any signs of life around here.

 

[grapeman]

You are right Bill. I am getting more in. The first shipment was cuttings only. Later I am getting in 100 more year old bare root vines. 25 Noiret, 25 Sabrevois, 25 GR-7, and 25 Steuben. I am also going to take some cuttings when I prune this year and root them. If they get large enough, I will plant them out in the vineyard this year, if not I will plant them next year. Doing things on a shoestring budget so I have to take it slow.


If I run out of space at my place(have room for a couple hundred more), I have two backup sites on the farm here. I'm trying to keep things fairly centralized so I can compare for vigor, hardiness and suitability for intended purpose(wine, table, juice).


Yes, I am having fun

 

[grapeman]

I went down today to the Wilsboro Research Cold Hardy Grape trial site and helped prune. Most of the vines look very well with minimal bud damage to most varieties. The two that haven't fared well are Cayuga White and Ravatt. The low for the winter was -11F. Going back tomorrow to help finish pruning and we will be weighing clippings.


Interesting to see many of the same varieties I am growing also. We only had an inch of slush to work in today, I still have 6 inches at home from yesterday. Yuck. Will report more later as they get to budbreak and beyond.

 

[rgecaprock]

Apple,


When you get your vineyard producing I'll come and work for wine!!!

If it ever stops snowing!!!!

Ramona

 

[grapeman]

Sounds good Ramona- especially the part about it quitting snowing. Last I heard, they say we could get up to 2 feet of snow on Sunday and Monday!!!!!!! Good Lord I hpe not! The latest snow I remember was about June 5 one year when we had 4 inches. It didn't freeze anything and was gone in a day. Normally the snow is gone by now, but we quite often get at least a trace about tax day.

 

[grapeman]

Spring has definitely sprung around here now. A couple days ago it was windy and mid 50's. Today it was 86 and sunny again. I've got the spot ready for some of the little vines I planted in a little nursery last year to root better. I marked out the locations for the Niagara and Buffalo vines. I dug the Niagara vines tonight and put in a tub of water for rehydrating the roots well. They aren't as big as the bareroot from Double A Nurseries, but they are well rooted. I will get some pictures tomorrow night before I plant them. Here is a picture from last year first.

 

[jobe05]

I can't beleive how sandy your soil is for being in upstate NY...........


Are you sure you don't live in Tampa or Miami?????


Does your wife keep you drunk so you won't know where you are?????


I grew up near Onieda lake (south side) and the land all throughout that area is black soil or muck lands. Hard to beleive theres that much sand in NY.


Your vines look awesome....... Let me know when your ready to dig them up and throw them on the compost pile, I sneek up (down) and get a few.

EDIT: The real killer is that there isn't a weed to be seen in that garden..... sigh,.................Edited by: jobe05

 

[grapeman]

Jobe, most of the farm has much heavier soil, with subsequent less ideal drainage. That's part of the reason I chose the site for the vines. I want well drained soil to help reduce winter heaving damage. Most all varieties of vines look good after the winter. The ones puching buds the lest are the Chardonel. One observation I have is that a lot of wood hadn't hardened well enough before the fall freezes. The vines are all alive, but I may need to prune back further. Time will tell.


Most of the cleaning up I am doing has to do with downed trees the last couple years from wind and snow. I've gotta clean up the mess and am filling in with vines.

 

[Wade E]

Looks awesome Appleman, when are you coming down to plant my vineyard?