First timer!

[lisa]

Hi all,

My husband and I have recently purchased an old run-down property in the Appenine mountains of Italy. We have a pergola full of grapes that I have been told are called Americana Fragola.

I have asked locally if anyone would add our grapes to theirs to make wine in exchange for a couple of bottles, but it seems to be a dying hobby. I can't let the grapes go to waste, so thought I might just try it myself. Eek!

We will be in Italy in early October when the grapes should be ideal for harvesting. Unfortunately we won't be back until April or May.

If I lay the wine down in demi-johns in October will it be ok till April??

Any ideas, tips, pointers would be much appreciated. I will have a good read around.

Thanks in advance,
Lisa.

 

[Green Mountains]

First welcome aboard.

Secondly....Oh My GOD people are gonna love this thread.

If you have the time and inclination I'm betting the good folks here can help you get thru this.

The most important is that you have the time to get the grapes crushed and thru initial fermentation and into the demijohns for secondary and aging.

Give us your time frames...when you think you'll be ready for the crush and when you'll be vacating Italy.

Others will be along soon for more info.

 

[countrygirl]

welcome lisa! darren is right, this is sooo exciting. REAL italian wine, wow!
(and i was excited about getting missouri grapes, lol)

 

[mmadmikes1]

If all goes well you should be able to pick, ferment and move to secondary in 10 to 14 days. I would think leaving wine in secondary, as long as you have a method of air locking, till April should be fine

 

[Goodfella]

Make sure you have a good amount of sulphites added...

 

[lisa]

Thanks all for the welcome. I think I need to read up on this term "secondary" and an awful lot more.

We're only in Italy for 9 days and I have to get the equipment prepared, grapes picked, maybe crush with feet in the traditional manner!!, and then do whatever else to get it into a state I can leave it in until April.

I'm guessing it's not doable, but if there is a way, I would love to try.

The house came with some ancient equipment in a cellar which I need to thoroughly clean out. There's even an old wooden vat cemented to blocks on the floor of an old cellar. I probably can't use the vat yet as we have no lighting into the cellar so I can't even see it properly let alone clean it up.

There are a lot of bottles and a corking machine with a great big iron pull handle, and I believe people re-use corks which I can get from a local bar. There's also a strange looking machine which reminds me of a toilet cistern! as it has a kind of ball-cock in it. Not sure what that's for.

I'd love to try and give this a go if there's a way, but if not, it looks like jam this year and wine next year.

 

[lisa]

Make sure you have a good amount of sulphites added...

Is that because of the type of grape?
Can I get that through customs from UK?

 

[Goodfella]

Thats what keeps wine from spoiling. (all wine and grape types)

It should be able to go through customs. But you may be questioned if you take the powdered form (white powder). I think you would be better taking camden tablets.

 

[Wade E]

Sulfites are to 1 hold off the wild yeast so as you could add the yeast of choice and 2 when its done fermenting to keep the wine from oxidizing. You do not reuse corks so please dont do that, they are probably the cheapest part of wine making so dont fret on buying them. Here is a link to the grapes you have or at least I believe you have and if so they make a decent wine, nothing great but surely not terrible and some prefer wines like this slightly sweetened. We would love to help you through this excursion.
http://www.learn2grow.com/plants/vitis-labrusca-fragola/
Please if you can take some pics of some of the equipment there and post them here and if you need help uploading them here email me at [email protected] and Ill load them for you. Glad to have you here!

 

[lisa]

I have put some photos in an album. You'll all probably be quite horrified at the state of it all and want me to buy new sterile stuff, but I want to use as much as I can that came with the house. I will buy a few buckets with tight fitting lids though.

Thanks for the link. Sounds like the ones. Last year was the first harvest since we bought the house and we weren't there. My parents who live in the next valley picked them for us. They did that late September, but this year summer arrived very late and we think they should be okay till we are there on 2nd October.

You mention putting sulphites in. Could I use water with a high sulphur content? Either instead of or as well as? When we were there last I saw a sign to 'acqua sulfurosa piscinella'. It's a natural mountain spring and the water is high in sulphur. I've been told that people go and fill bottles to drink it as it's good for the kidneys. It would be great to use that rather thn plain tap water.

 

[Tom]

Lisa,
Welcome. Here you will find all your answers.
Check here 1st if not sure what to do before you do it.

 

[lisa]

Thanks Tom. Yeah, I'm doing a lot of reading around. I've asked a couple of questions on this thread. I think I've chosen a forum where you're all in bed while I'm up though as you all seem to be in the US!

I see you've got some Italian Amarone on the go. We also have a cherry tree in the garden but I don't think it's Amarone. My parents have a couple of good Amarone cherry trees. Would that make wine too? If my grape wine turns out a success maybe I can pinch their fruit one year, in exchange for a couple of bottles of course.

 

[Tom]

Amarone is a type of wine from Wine Grapes

 

[lisa]

Amarone is a type of wine from Wine Grapes

Oh! What was I thinking of then? Morello!!!!!!!!!! Doh!

 

[theolddog]

new guy here-- i just harvested some frontenac grapes and have press them to get 3gal of juice-- any good receipes out there

 

[lisa]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum I guess. But you're asking the wrong person. I'm new too and can only say scour t'interweb.

If you post this in a new thread of your own someone should get an answer to you.

Have fun,
Lisa.

 

[lisa]

Hi all,

I was prompted for an update so here it is. I'm a complete novice and don't anyone think making wine from scratch is easy. It was a complete disaster.

I managed to spend my whole short time in Italy picking the grapes, washing them, crushing them, blah blah. I bought equipment and chemicals etc. I got the wine into demijohns after the buckets and wrapped them up in bubble wrap to stay warm during the winter.

I think they must have stopped fermenting within a short time of me leaving because when I returned in the spring I had made vinegar!

I've been informed that I shouldn't have used chemicals or washed the grapes. Apparently I should just have picked and crushed the grapes and left them to make wine all on their own, and in a warmer place than a deserted house on a remote mountain in the Apennines.

Last summer I told our neighbours to pick the grapes in the autumn and use them themselves as I didn't want them wasted.

We now have builders in for a few years but I will definitely try again when we have a better property to store it and when I have more time.

Thanks to all again. x

 

[Julie]

Hi Lisa,

Sorry to hear about your misfortune in winemaking but I am glad you aren't willing to give up. When you go to start your next wine, come back here. There are a lot of good winemakers who will help you out.