Hello all
I'm in the middle of home construction on a new lot and the wife and I are discussing our orchard and grape vine layout. We are avid gardeners and have been discussing the orchard for some time but have been very indecisive.
About wine making. We have zero experience, it's just something we want to do and have wanted to do for years. We are very self-reliant and grow/build nearly everything we use.
We drink reds almost exclusively. Our go-to wines are always Pinot Nior and Cabs. Reading on those two, the Pinots seem to be harder to cultivate.
I'm posting to get some opinions. We are wanting to start our orchard asap (as in immediately), but honestly haven't put in the research on wine making that I need to nor the background. I have read a few books and online instructions, but the focus is more on the wine making process itself, and not the selection of varieties.
We will have years to learn the process, but want to plant now. I'm reaching out to hear suggestions from those who have been down this path prior.
Based on 7' spacing, we have room for anywhere from 100 to 150 trees conservatively. We will probably start with something much smaller and scale up after we learn what we are doing. Wanting to plant a row or two this year (25 to 50).
We have the water rights to support the acreage fortunately so that is not a concern.
A plat of our lot site plan is below, with my proposed vines laid out in blue although nothing is set in stone.
The lot is gently sloping east to west, with a small creek that flows along with the trees on the west end (drys up on the driest years and late in the summer).
The soil tests show we are heavily alkaline. Sandy loam for the soil with reasonable drainage. We plan on installing a drip system to supplement during the summer where our rains to not support. The sunshine is VERY high here, much higher than national averages. The lot is in USDA climate zone 7A (0 - 5 F), although I personally feel its more like 6B (-5 to 0 F). The frost lines can extend down to 30" on the hardest of winters, so pipes are buried low.
We are in New Harmony, UT, about 5 minutes from the entry to the Kolob section of Zion National Park.
Any input on what specific varieties we should consider, and where to obtain them, would be very much appreciated! We are looking not just for a family of cultivars, but the specific variety and reason you recommend.
Thank you so much!
I'm in the middle of home construction on a new lot and the wife and I are discussing our orchard and grape vine layout. We are avid gardeners and have been discussing the orchard for some time but have been very indecisive.
About wine making. We have zero experience, it's just something we want to do and have wanted to do for years. We are very self-reliant and grow/build nearly everything we use.
We drink reds almost exclusively. Our go-to wines are always Pinot Nior and Cabs. Reading on those two, the Pinots seem to be harder to cultivate.
I'm posting to get some opinions. We are wanting to start our orchard asap (as in immediately), but honestly haven't put in the research on wine making that I need to nor the background. I have read a few books and online instructions, but the focus is more on the wine making process itself, and not the selection of varieties.
We will have years to learn the process, but want to plant now. I'm reaching out to hear suggestions from those who have been down this path prior.
Based on 7' spacing, we have room for anywhere from 100 to 150 trees conservatively. We will probably start with something much smaller and scale up after we learn what we are doing. Wanting to plant a row or two this year (25 to 50).
We have the water rights to support the acreage fortunately so that is not a concern.
A plat of our lot site plan is below, with my proposed vines laid out in blue although nothing is set in stone.
The lot is gently sloping east to west, with a small creek that flows along with the trees on the west end (drys up on the driest years and late in the summer).
The soil tests show we are heavily alkaline. Sandy loam for the soil with reasonable drainage. We plan on installing a drip system to supplement during the summer where our rains to not support. The sunshine is VERY high here, much higher than national averages. The lot is in USDA climate zone 7A (0 - 5 F), although I personally feel its more like 6B (-5 to 0 F). The frost lines can extend down to 30" on the hardest of winters, so pipes are buried low.
We are in New Harmony, UT, about 5 minutes from the entry to the Kolob section of Zion National Park.
Any input on what specific varieties we should consider, and where to obtain them, would be very much appreciated! We are looking not just for a family of cultivars, but the specific variety and reason you recommend.
Thank you so much!
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