Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[grapeman]

I don't know how you guys all love to live where it is hot all year. It was between 98 100 here yesterday. It cooled off to 80 overnight with increasing humidity. There was dew in the grass even at 80! I think I will HAVE TO do some work in the office today! I had planned another day of vineyard work, but that will need to wait.


It is funny, as I watch the weather. Here it is 80 degrees for a low, and the record high for the day was 89 degree. It will probably be there by 9 AM

. One good thing about it is that the mildew pressure has lessened!

 

[fivebk]

It is supposed to be in the 80s here all week long. It finally quit raining. We ended up with a grand total of 3 1/2 inches of rain and by this morning there was no water left standing anywhere in my vineyard. ( water soaks away real good here )

BOB.

 

[grapeman]

After about a week of 90's and two weeks with no rain, we got almost an inch of rain near andover the weekend. It was very localized rainfall and was hit or miss. I got .6 inches on Friday, others got nothing. Yesterday around noon we picked up another good shot of rain.


As a result of giving the thirsty vines a good drink, the grape clusters went BAMMM.All the clusters grapesjust about doubled in size in two days! What resulted is a beautiful and somewhat scary sight! Last year some of the varieties had no grapes on them as a result of the severe winter freeze. This year everything I didn't replace is absolutely covered with grapes. Too much hanging fruit! I will need to do some additional thinning to keep the vines balanced.


I'm hoping for continued good weather (although I hate it hot!) until fall to bring a good crop. No pictures this time.

 

[grapeman]

It was a big day here at Hid-In-Pines Vineyard. I got the phone call I have been waiting months for from the TTB. It was my phone interview for the application for the Winery License. It seemed to go smoothly. The woman I spoke with said it needs to go for signatures and I should have my approval in about a week.


Wahoo, I can't wait!!! Then I can submit the paperwork for NYS. Since harvest isn't that far away, I will likely submit an application for a temporary permit along with the full permit, since our process takes a year or so for final approval.

 

[ibglowin]

 

[Runningwolf]

Congratulations, thats awesome!!

 

[Wade E]

Great news there Rich!

 

[vcasey]

Congratulations! Excellent news.

 

[AlFulchino]

what i tell ya!

 

[Waldo]

 

[Bert]

That's great news.....CONGRATS....

 

[grapeman]

Today we are hosting the 2010 NE SARE Field Meeting for my grant. It is the second year of the Canopy Management and Training Systems Research. The weather is very warm- upper 80's with high humidity and sunny now, but we may get showers later. This year to raise interest, I combined it with Lake Champlain Wines (formerly LCGGA) to expand the coverage of training the vines to different trellis systems, along with summertime canopy management and how it can affect your crop this year and next. Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures, but my camera has been acting up lately.


Anybody in the neighborhood stop on by and learn a few things.

 

[OilnH2O]

Hmmm... You seem to do a lot of these so-called "seminars..." Do they involve any tasting of the ultimate product? You know --
"extra-curricular?" I'm just saying...

 

[grapeman]

The weather was fairly hot for our meeting. It got around 90 with high humidity and mixed clouds and sun. I was surprised the group held together in spite of the weather.
 
We had around 35 people attend this year, quite a bit more than last year. There was a nice cross section of growers attending from home gardeners to small vineyard owners. Hopefully everyone brought away a piece or two of information they found useful.
 
We tried to cover the basics of summer pruning concentrating on shoot and cluster thinning as well as skirting and hedging. We also covered the four training systems in the trial, showing the trellis structure of each and demonstrated how to tie the young vines to it to establish each. Later we installed earth anchors at the ends of a row, the brace wires at the ends and then strung a row of wire to demonstrate a couple types of wire attachment and tensioning.
 
I didn't get a lot of pictures, but will post a few later today if I get a chance between work in the vineyard.
 
Yes we did taste some wines afterwards, but I made a point of not advertising that. People came for the seminar, not the wine. We sample 10 wines so there was something for all who wanted it.
 
Now back to normal vineyard work today!

Checking in.

A few visitors strolling through

Heading out through the vines

Discussing the new trial vineyard

Just another view.

 

[Scott B]

Looks like a great time!

 

[AlFulchino]

i always wonder why some people take the time to go learn something by driving to a place where something is being taught and then......stand so far away...it always happens....and it doesnt show respect for the person teaching....your doing them a GREAT service Rich!

 

[fivebk]

I wish I could have been there

BOB

 

[ibglowin]

I agree, I'm a front row pew kind of guy myself....

Nice job Rich!

i always wonder why some people take the time to go learn something by driving to a place where something is being taught and then......stand so far away...it always happens....and it doesnt show respect for the person teaching....your doing them a GREAT service Rich!

 

[grapeman]

Today I got a non-desript email, but I recognized the name of the sender. True to her word saying I would get it in about a week, it was my Basic Wine Permit from the TTB. I am now officially considered a winery by the feds. I had to send a few more pictures yesterday since her supervisors wanted some more showing locks on the doors. I got the last ones to her about 4:00 yesterday and didn't hear from her again until the e-mail.


Now onto the state.


Hopefully the grapes survive this extreme weather of today - tornado, flooding and some places inches of hail, some 2 inches in size. Thank goodness so far we have only gotten a couple inches of rain at my place.

 

[AlFulchino]

yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rain? whats that....1/2 to 1 inch in the last 45 days here