winemaker_3352
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Very nice Mike!!!
Chateau Michaelena Vineyard
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Those Noiret are coming along now. How are the Marquette?
The Noiret were slow out of the gate but have now caught up and past the Marquette in size and color. The dark green grapes are Noiret. The light green are the Marquette. The Corot Noir are lighter green as well but they also seem to have caught up and passed the Marquette. That last pic is Marquette.
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Ruh Row Raggy!!!!!!!
The wedding is six weeks from tomorrow and look what's happening on some of the Marquette! The Noiret and Corot Noir all have no signs of verasion and those are all up front where the wedding ceremony will take place. Hoping I have ripe grapes but hoping I don't have to pick them all before the wedding.... Rich, how long before these grapes would reach their peak and need to be picked? Not all Marquette is looking like this thank goodness, this one vine is leaps and bounds ahead of all the others for some reason though. Its in the back so if I do have to pick them it won't be all bad.
The wedding is six weeks from tomorrow and look what's happening on some of the Marquette! The Noiret and Corot Noir all have no signs of verasion and those are all up front where the wedding ceremony will take place. Hoping I have ripe grapes but hoping I don't have to pick them all before the wedding.... Rich, how long before these grapes would reach their peak and need to be picked? Not all Marquette is looking like this thank goodness, this one vine is leaps and bounds ahead of all the others for some reason though. Its in the back so if I do have to pick them it won't be all bad.
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Some of these posts sneak through on me lately as somebody posts them after I have clicked the new posts button and then I don't refresh. Just saw this.
Those will probably be ripe before the wedding, but Corot Noir and Noiret ripen quite a bit afterwards. I would say you will be just about perfect for the wedding. I would net them to keep the birds out though. You guys are making me nervous with your early ripening grapes!
Those will probably be ripe before the wedding, but Corot Noir and Noiret ripen quite a bit afterwards. I would say you will be just about perfect for the wedding. I would net them to keep the birds out though. You guys are making me nervous with your early ripening grapes!
Seems like each day now another Marquette vine shows signs of version starting. Its exciting and sad as the wedding is still 6 weeks out from yesterday. Thats good for getting the house and yard in shape but bad for early grape ripening......
Where would you recommend as a good source of netting since I don't need all that much. I seem to remember Father Al had a bunch he wanted to sell but I only need about 150ft or so!
Where would you recommend as a good source of netting since I don't need all that much. I seem to remember Father Al had a bunch he wanted to sell but I only need about 150ft or so!
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Give Spec Trellising a call and see if they have small rolls. Lowes carries 14 foot in short lengths of over the top netting. Remember for side netting to double your row length to do both sides!
Keep us posted on what you find - all I can get at Lowes is 14' square.
Wow, Can't believe the deal I just got. I posted my need for some netting in the NM Vine and Wine Society page on Facebook and got a response back within an hour from a guy in ABQ who has some he is not using. Best part is I just have to go pick it up. Can't beat free!
I must have 4-5 vines now in full verasion. All Marquette of course.
Best thing I ever did was join the NM Vine and Wine Society. I am now hooked up and dialed in with most everybody in the state via that society. If you have something similar in your state it is totally worth it to join and network with other growers and winemakers in your area. Great source of information as well as equipment. I had no idea my neighbor down the street had a walkout basement with 100L Stainless Flex tank, bladder press, you name it. They had all the equipment but were a little weak in their chemistry knowledge. Its a win/win partnership for us both in the end.
Best thing I ever did was join the NM Vine and Wine Society. I am now hooked up and dialed in with most everybody in the state via that society. If you have something similar in your state it is totally worth it to join and network with other growers and winemakers in your area. Great source of information as well as equipment. I had no idea my neighbor down the street had a walkout basement with 100L Stainless Flex tank, bladder press, you name it. They had all the equipment but were a little weak in their chemistry knowledge. Its a win/win partnership for us both in the end.
Well, you DEFINITELY have the chem knowledge! Maybe we should all start trolling our neighborhoods with signs: "Show me your grapes!" 
Getting close on some vines!
Update on things, the Marquette is just about ready to harvest. I noticed some very guilty looking birds hanging around the vines these days. I can't tell if they are snacking on grapes or not. If they are so far its not too noticeable. I made a quick trip to ABQ on Sunday afternoon to pick up my free bird netting. One of the old timers of the NM Vine and Wine Society had some used stuff that he said had some tears in it but there are some good sections as well so I should be able to cobble enough together to cover the vines by this weekend at the latest.
I picked up an inexpensive refractometer from Amazon and pulled it out yesterday after work. I took four sample berries from 4 different Marquette vines. I zeroed the refractometer with distilled water. It was just a touch off from the factory setting. The very first berry from a vine way in the back of the garden (which is a very sunny and hot location) came in at 25 Brix!
I thought holy cow, I need to pick them all today. Then I checked 3 other vines. They are all in slightly cooler and a little more shadier areas. They came in around 19-21 Brix so they will need a little more time.
The really cool part of this whole quick little experiment was to be able to test each grape, get a Brix level and then eat what was left and see what it tasted like in the mouth.
The 25 Brix grape was pure sweetness. No tart at all. The 19-21 Brix grapes were all sweet but nowhere near as sweet at the 25 Brix grape plus they had a slight tart taste to them still.
At some point I hope to have a calibrated mouth and won't even need the refractometer!
Will post some pics perhaps this evening,
Update on things, the Marquette is just about ready to harvest. I noticed some very guilty looking birds hanging around the vines these days. I can't tell if they are snacking on grapes or not. If they are so far its not too noticeable. I made a quick trip to ABQ on Sunday afternoon to pick up my free bird netting. One of the old timers of the NM Vine and Wine Society had some used stuff that he said had some tears in it but there are some good sections as well so I should be able to cobble enough together to cover the vines by this weekend at the latest.
I picked up an inexpensive refractometer from Amazon and pulled it out yesterday after work. I took four sample berries from 4 different Marquette vines. I zeroed the refractometer with distilled water. It was just a touch off from the factory setting. The very first berry from a vine way in the back of the garden (which is a very sunny and hot location) came in at 25 Brix!
I thought holy cow, I need to pick them all today. Then I checked 3 other vines. They are all in slightly cooler and a little more shadier areas. They came in around 19-21 Brix so they will need a little more time.
The really cool part of this whole quick little experiment was to be able to test each grape, get a Brix level and then eat what was left and see what it tasted like in the mouth.
The 25 Brix grape was pure sweetness. No tart at all. The 19-21 Brix grapes were all sweet but nowhere near as sweet at the 25 Brix grape plus they had a slight tart taste to them still.
At some point I hope to have a calibrated mouth and won't even need the refractometer!
Will post some pics perhaps this evening,
Pics!
Some of the shots around the wine garden this afternoon.
Some of the shots around the wine garden this afternoon.
This is their third leaf so yep, just two years old technically. Some vines are loaded, others not so much. Definitely a labor of love.
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I thought I posted yesterday on this, but it isn't here.
I noted that you have a lot of variability within the cluster so be careful to let them ripen as much as you can without raisining too badly.
Also I consider third leaf vines a full three year old. The first leaf is the end of the first year as they were grown for about a year or more previous to leafing out.
I noted that you have a lot of variability within the cluster so be careful to let them ripen as much as you can without raisining too badly.
Also I consider third leaf vines a full three year old. The first leaf is the end of the first year as they were grown for about a year or more previous to leafing out.
Sounds good to me Rich. Looks like the Noiret and Corot Noir are starting to turn this week as well. Not sure how much will make it to the wedding. It is 4 weeks away still this coming Saturday. May have to go buy some plastic grapes from Hobby Lobby or Michael's.........
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I picked 3 vines yesterday evening. Brix was 25, 25, 24. Have 3-4 more about 21-22 Brix so maybe by this weekend. We have high pressure ridge over us this week so no monsoonal moisture and HOT temps predicted so another great ripening week for the grapes. Corot Noir and Noiret are way way behind the Marquette but are now in full verasion. Have a few stragglers that are not showing any signs of verasion. Warm Spring + warm Summer = early ripening!
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I realize you can probably only pick some days, but Marquette will go to 28 brix without losing too much acid. What is the pH of them that you harvested?
Corot Noir and Noiret will be a few weeks behind so maaybe you will still have some on the vines for the wedding!
Corot Noir and Noiret will be a few weeks behind so maaybe you will still have some on the vines for the wedding!
