Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[Wade E]

Lets get a look at that getting full winery!

 

[grapeman]

Another day of picking in the trial again doing the second and half the third row of Frontenac. Got another 750 pounds, but the averages went down, especially for the 4 arm-kiniffen. That is because these vines are 4 years old instead of five and were converted over this year from VSP to 4AK. Some of them just didn't have good canes to begin the upper arms with, so as a result were pretty much just two bearing cordons. Next year they will do much better. Still 750 pounds from 36 vines is not too shabby!


Tomorrow is going to have to be a day in the winery as I need to run all the labwork on the samples from the grapes from today- 9 of them not counting the crushed, barrel samples. I then have 5-8 brutes ready to press and about 120 gallons to put into storage containers since they are done fermenting (whites).


Wade I will see about a picture or two tomorrow. The winery is full of Brutes since all but one of 20 is full right now, but it would hold another 30 or so and still have room. So if I pick anymore, I need to free some up first.

 

[grapeman]

Alright Wade, here are a few pictures in the winery. Nothing fancy here - no stainless yet, just barrels and carboys. I have wine at all stages, from mostly clear to not even picked yet!

I had some help for a while a couple days ago, so here is Del with a cluster of Frontenac.

Below is a picture showing Frontenac VSP next to Frontenac 4 Arm-Kniffen

Every carboy I have is currently full. I have about 250 gallons to get into barrels including some reds I need to press. Then I have another 250 gallons fermenting and I still have about a ton left to pick. I am having to get imaginative on where to put wine for temporary storage. I will be glad when I start to get some income from this stuff so I can add some more storage!

 

[ibglowin]

Very nice! (and very full!)

Have never seen those squatty looking carboys. Are they old?


You better get more carboys, looks like you have a lot of grapes still to harvest!

 

[grapeman]

Those are some old glass water carboys another winery let me use. They are 5 gallon ones and are unhandy because you can't get an auto siphon in them, but hey, they hold wine!

 

[Runningwolf]

Rich, thanks for sharing. Makes me think I need to get more juice. So nice and clean too!

 

[Dean]

It's about to become controlled chaos! I love seeing other setups like this.

 

[Wade E]

Wow, that looks awesome in there buddy. Me thinks you surely need more storage like a few VCT'sor tanks like Al! With the permit does that only allow you to sell wine you are making now or can you at least have wine tastings with last years wines?

 

[grapeman]

Since I am all filled up with any storage I have, I held off until this weekend to pick any more grapes. I bought two 55 gallon blue barrels yesterday for temporary storage. Today I ordered a 620 liter stainless steel variable volume tank and stand. I'm hoping to get it Wed of this coming week. I also need to order a pallet or two of bottles. There is a bit over 100 cases per pallet, depending on the bottle style.


I had a surprise visit today from a couple people from Uncork NY - the New York Wine and Grape Council. They were here to get pictures from the Lake Champlain region as NY's newest grape growing and wine region. They wanted pictures for their updated brochures.

 

[BonnieJoy]

What ya filling that new SS tank with? Things are moving right along for you. We'd like to see the write-up + photos they do on your winery. It's really exciting to follow your progress. We're all rooting for great success at Hid-In-The-Pines.

 

[grapeman]

What ya filling that new SS tank with?

Why, wine of course

Frontenac

 

[BonnieJoy]

YUMMYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Wade E]

Im guessing you didnt get the tank through George as I dont see a 620 tank in his arsenal. Thats a nice size tank and should help you out a lot. Congrats on that and Im sure it set you back more then you wanted to spend at this point but once that fantastic wine starts selling youll be buying more to make life easier!

 

[grapeman]

Wade I tried to buy from George and he sure tried to sell. He didn't have and could not get the bigger tank. I decided I would go for two of the 80 gallon ones instead from George. He only had one good one in stock and I need the room and then some. I bought from a company he recommended. Hey you can't get a better referral than from George. This should be the first of many stainless and plastic tanks. I'm hoping for double to triple the production next year as the young vines come into production. I may need to get some help then or else have Congress pass a new law extending the day to 72 hours.

 

[Randoneur]

What would the projected deficit be on our 72 hour days??

 

[Wade E]

Cool, so did you get one 80 from George also or just the big one. Scrap that JUST as Im sure that one big one was $!

 

[grapeman]

No I only got the one big tank because I needed to save money for bottles to bottle some early wine in soon. When I start selling the wine, I'm going to have a tank fund where I deposit $2 for every bottle sold. That way I will have money next year to add some more SS or Flextanks. I didn't go the Flextank route this year because their distribution system is so slow it takes weeks to get any. They keep saying they have an Albany center, but they never have any there. That would only be a bit over 2 hours away from me.

 

[grapeman]

What would the projected deficit be on our 72 hour days??

I don't want to talk politics since it isn't allowed, but the longer day wouldn't add to the deficit because everybody would have more time to work, so they would make more money so their tax owed would go up, lowering the deficit

 

[Wade E]

We would be to tired to go out and spend any!

 

[Randoneur]

It must be really satisfying to get to this point in developing your winery!
It's interesting to read back, how it's been developing. Congratulations on a good year.