Grape sources & Brokers

[RylanJacobs]

Anybody have any good sources on grapes? Wine Grapes Direct has a great website and provides a stat sheet for the juice buckets. Can anyone speak to the quality of the juice in relation to the info online?

I'm also looking to find a grape broker located in the southeast U.S that could help facilitate sourcing & purchasing. Probably looking at purchasing in 100lb increments.

Thanks in advance

 

[sour_grapes]

Anybody have any good sources on grapes? Wine Grapes Direct has a great website and provides a stat sheet for the juice buckets. Can anyone speak to the quality of the juice in relation to the info online?

I just had a bottle of a Meritage-type wine that I made from WGD buckets. It is very good! Among the best that I have made -- sort of ~$15-$20 bottle comparable. (Thanks to @Cap Puncher for organizing the group buy!)

 

[RylanJacobs]

I just had a bottle of a Meritage-type wine that I made from WGD buckets. It is very good! Among the best that I have made -- sort of ~$15-$20 bottle comparable. (Thanks to @Cap Puncher for organizing the group buy!)

That's good to know! I don't find their prices prohibitive, but it's enough that I want to get reviews and confirmations on quality and customer service.

Thanks!

 

[winemaker81]

I'm also looking to find a grape broker located in the southeast U.S that could help facilitate sourcing & purchasing. Probably looking at purchasing in 100lb increments.

Knowing your approximate location will help a lot in getting good advice.

What varietals are you interested in? If it's native grapes (Muscadine and Scuppernong in central and eastern NC), there are numerous sources in the Raleigh area for wine-quality grapes.

French-American hybrids and Vinifera don't grow in the lowlands -- too hot. This eliminates southeast VA, the eastern half of NC, and most of SC and GA. NC and VA have grape grower org sites that have maps -- I don't know the URLs as I haven't looked in a while.

Gino Pinto sells west coast grapes and has a facility in Ashland VA, which is on the north side of Richmond.

We have a group centered in Durham NC that bulk buys west coast grapes from Musto, who is based in CT.

 

[sour_grapes]

That's good to know! I don't find their prices prohibitive, but it's enough that I want to get reviews and confirmations on quality and customer service.

Thanks!

It's the shipping that is a killer. That is why the group buy was so important. We (well, @Cap Puncher !) organized shipping by the pallet, which made the shipping cost reasonable.

 

[winemaker81]

It's the shipping that is a killer. That is why the group buy was so important. We (well, @Cap Puncher !) organized shipping by the pallet, which made the shipping cost reasonable.

YUP! My local group purchases 3+ tons with the part of the group in Charlotte purchasing another 2+ tons. The bulk buy reduces shipping dramatically.

 

[sour_grapes]

YUP! My local group purchases 3+ tons with the part of the group in Charlotte purchasing another 2+ tons. The bulk buy reduces shipping dramatically.

You're talking about fresh grapes, though, right? Same concept, obviously, but the appeal of WGD is that you CAN get them in small quantities (if you are willing to pay the shipping).

 

[winemaker81]

Your talking about fresh grapes, though, right? Same concept, obviously, but the appeal of WGD is that you CAN get them in small quantities (if you are willing to pay the shipping).

Yes, fresh grapes. The ability to buy in small quantities is nice, but as you say, it comes at a premium.

 

[RylanJacobs]

I'm in North Florida. I am looking for Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling, and (maybe) a good pinot noir. I have local access to muscadine and scuppernong, although all the farmers grow them for eating, not vinifying.

I emailed an individual who was listed as a distributor in Jacksonville for Colavita...no response so far.

@winemaker81 any chance your group in NC has some contacts down this way? Florida feels like a wine desert. The closest LHBS is 3+ hours away by car.

 

[RylanJacobs]

Wine Grapes Direct has plenty of options, although with shipping it is $300+ per 5-gallon pail.....

 

[vinny]

Wine Grapes Direct has plenty of options, although with shipping it is $300+ per 5-gallon

I am 1.5 hours from the nearest city and I was able to get juice buckets from my LHBS. If you have anything in your area stop in and ask what they can get for you.

 

[winemaker81]

@winemaker81 any chance your group in NC has some contacts down this way? Florida feels like a wine desert. The closest LHBS is 3+ hours away by

I expect not. Our group has folks coming in from Wilmington (~3 hours) and northern SC, but northern FL and southern GA is way out. I checked, and Jacksonville FL to Durham NC is over 7 hours drive.

The grapes we get are all red. Chardonnay and/or Sauvignon Blanc juice is available in 50 gallon barrels. We must have enough people to split a barrel, else we don't order one.

One option is to locate nearby home winemakers and organize your own buy. Unfortunately you're that much farther south, so getting Vinifera will have higher shipping charges.

 

[Cap Puncher]

That's good to know! I don't find their prices prohibitive, but it's enough that I want to get reviews and confirmations on quality and customer service.

WGD is a bit pricey, but as @sour_grapes eluded to, it does make really good wine. The numbers are never right though. The pH and Ta are always off ( I assume from the freezing process). I made a their 2018 Russian River Chardonnay and it’s amazing. Daniel Pambianchi made it on his blog too and thought it was amazing. I also made some a right Bordeaux blend of Red mountain Merlot and Rattlesnake hills cab(with @pour750ml ). We also did a cab dominant blend with just a bit of the merlot, both came out awesome.

We got 36 pails on a pallet and paid about $16 per pail each for shipping. We also got $10-30 off per pail for their bulk pricing. Find some other winemakers near ya and talk them into a bulk buy.

Grapesforwine.com has there vineyard in Livermore Valley. Theirs are about $100-150 per pail with the shipping included. I did their 2023 petite sirah (to possibly blend with the old vine zin that our WVA club got last year. It is doing pretty well but still really young.
Definitely more reasonable if you just want to try some frozen must. Their sister website sends fresh grapes from Livermore in small quantities (same vineyards). Shop - Bay Area California wine grapes for home winemakers

100lb looks to be about $208 to Florida

Good luck!

 

[RylanJacobs]

Wow, GrapesForWine.com will send a frozen pail to Florida for no cost. Pail is $108. I might grab a couple of those.

The Bay Wine Brokers is able to send a 100lb of frozen grapes to my door for $210, shipping included. That's pretty darn good.

Thanks @Cap Puncher!!!

 

[Greg Corey]

I made the frozen bucket Pinot Noir from MoreWine.com, which is, as far as I can tell, the exact same as the GrapesForWine frozen must. It turned out remarkably well. The frozen buckets are a great price for the almost full experience of working with fresh, bulk grapes when fresh grapes aren't around.

 

[Jovimaple]

My LHBS is closing the brick and mortar locations at the end of this month. I don't know yet if they still plan to sell juice pails in the spring and fall from wherever they store their online inventory, so this info is great if I want to do more juice pails in the future. Thanks!

 

[sour_grapes]

My LHBS is closing the brick and mortar locations at the end of this month. I don't know yet if they still plan to sell juice pails in the spring and fall from wherever they store their online inventory, so this info is great if I want to do more juice pails in the future. Thanks!

Oh No! Your LHBS is also my LHBS. Quel dommage.

 

[Jovimaple]

Oh No! Your LHBS is also my LHBS. Quel dommage.

Northern Brewer/Midwest Supplies has a storefront in Milwaukee? I did not know this. I thought they were just in the Twin Cities area.

I found out this spring that Label Peelers also went to online only, so to pick up my FWK I had to go to their warehouse and call to let them know I was there so they could bring out my order.

 

[Ohio Bob]

I found out this spring that Label Peelers also went to online only, so to pick up my FWK I had to go to their warehouse and call to let them know I was there so they could bring out my order.

I was at LP a month ago and talked to the person bringing out my order. I asked if they were ever going to go to an actual walk-in store. The person said there has been some talk about that.

 

[sour_grapes]

Northern Brewer/Midwest Supplies has a storefront in Milwaukee? I did not know this. I thought they were just in the Twin Cities area.

I found out this spring that Label Peelers also went to online only, so to pick up my FWK I had to go to their warehouse and call to let them know I was there so they could bring out my order.

Yup, we've had a Northern Brewer for many years: Retail Home Brew Shops - Northern Brewer . It is where I cut my teeth.

We have a much older, more mom-and-pop place called The Purple Foot (Home Brewing Supply Shop | Wine Making Kits | Beer Brewing Supplies | The Purple Foot Milwaukee, Wisconsin) that has survived since 1969. I guess they will get more business!