Fulchino Vineyard

[AlFulchino]

 

[grapeman]

Did something help you pick them Al? It looks like a lot of missing berries or did they just come off the stem in the pan already aiding destemming? We may pick the Sabrevois at Willsboro tomorrow. We are trying for a day ahead of schedule to try to beat the heavy predicted rains. It looks like there will be about 25-30 pounds per vine average on them. Wait until next year Al! You will have lots of them.

 

[AlFulchino]

yep it does look like something helped...i did notice one set of deer tracks on one row..and on that row i noticed a few clusters missung some grapes he wont be finding any sabrevios this evening


i agree..lots of grapes next year....i pruned away this year in an effort to train cordons and this removed 99% of the clusters...


based on your numbers i should get a ton and a half 'holy cow' as Phil Rizzutto used to say!

 

[grapeman]

If it isn't raining early tomorrow Al I will get some pictures of the Sabrevois grapes before picking. I was going to get pictures today, but it was too sunny and got too much glare for good pictures.

 

[AlFulchino]

i know this...we will be getting lots of rain...so we will press inside the garage....


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[Wade E]

Hey, there almost at my house! Anything that holds that much wine and lets them breathe also and light on top of that is tops in my book.

 

[grapeman]

So did they get there yet Al? We picked grapes today to try to beat the rains. It started at about 1:30 and we worked until about 3 and then went up to my place to get the ones out of the cooler we put there on Wed after picking. They will go to the lab for processing into wine. I got you some pictures today but then got too busy to take a lot. I will try to post over the weekend on the Willsboro post. I need to get three batches going tomorrow. I have the Frontenac, some ES 6-16-30 and some LaCrescent to do

 

[AlFulchino]

they did...i did not get a chance to un pack the plastic as we pressed all day as it rained...my hands are still purple..i will post some pics and numbers tomorrow


****
i am looking forward to seeing your pictures....it is a fun time of year!

 

[AlFulchino]

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[AlFulchino]

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[AlFulchino]

 

[AlFulchino]

in the last picture what you are seeing is a black screw on cap for the tank...this cap also has a rubber type ring seal (shown)


the black cap also has a small white screw in piece that you can use to peer inside or replace w an air lock type set up


the white dic you see is actually the variable tank feature...its a pliable plastic disc w foam inside that you place over whatever level wine you have in your tank....the disc has a stopper that you can open to put water in to *stiffen* the cap and put some weight on your wine surface.....this pliable disc also has a flap that encircles the disc to provide am extra flap type seal for against the tank wall


so far so good

 

[grapeman]

Great looking tanks standing there full of nice tasty wine. How about a picture of the top. Does it screw on? Is it fitted with an airlock, etc? Now I'm gonna have to get some!

 

[grapeman]

I got distracted and you posted the answers to my questions before I asked! Thanks Al.

 

[AlFulchino]

hi...i didnt tale one of it on....we had a small family emergency so the rest of the day didnt involve wine..but YES it does screw on to a tight fit w the rubber seal shown...and the white screw on cap screws also into the black screw on top


we are going to make a small deck on wheels for the press so it empties directly into the fermenter and we are also going to build a dolly for the tanks as well...to assist w racking and moving


having upped my production i am faced w a new problem...how to get the wine from the garage down into the wine cellar w ease...the dolly's will help as will a nice transfer pump...w a winery building i wont have that problem down the road

 

[AlFulchino]

lots of rain here...i tasted the lacross that started to ferment just today...it had a nice cap...and WOW the juice tasted great...i was suprised....now i have to coax it into being a nice wine


the juice was refreshing as a spring day..it was like dew on a morning lawn..fresh...light citrus notes...i am not a white wine person...but i COULD like this one!

 

[grapeman]

Glad you got a taste of the LaCrosse today. We picked 90 pounds today for someone who wanted to do a 6 gallon carboy. We got 7 gallons pressed. Before we went to pick them, I popped a couple small bottles of LaCrosse in the freezer and we went out, lifted the nets over them and picked 90 pounds in about 15 minutes. They yielded up to 22.5 pounds per vine-not bad for 3 years old. We went back and ran them through the crusher/destemmer George supplied from The Winemaker's Toy Store. I opened the bottles and poured a couple glasses for us. I said to him with a bit of luck and time, he would be drinking some wine like this. He was thrilled to try it and was glad he got the grapes. He has never made wine from grapes-only kits. Now he wants to do a red.

 

[AlFulchino]

thats great news...

if all goes well Susan and I will be up Saturday (maybe wednesday)...what will you be picking on these days? any idea?
i am looking forward to year three!

 

[grapeman]

Al I will PM you tomorrow what we will likely pick this week on Wed and Sat.. I just need to crsh this evening after a very fast paced and frenetic week. I will check the list tomorrow and see if I can tell what will be likely. I took samples Wed and Friday, but don't know the results yet. They were going to the lab at Geneva for smpling this time so may take a couple days to get the test results. I do have a good idea though of the likely candidates.

 

[AlFulchino]

great! THANK YOU!