Harvest 2024

[ibglowin]

Usually pH goes up with longer hang times, and more GDD's and basically the higher the brix you are able to achieve, the higher the pH will go.

 

[Obbnw]

Usually pH goes up with longer hang times, and more GDD's and basically the higher the brix you are able to achieve, the higher the pH will go.

I think I need to clarify my question.

What I'm wondering if the age of the vine (not the grapes on the vine) affects the potential PH of the grapes.

In 2018 PH averaged 4.0
In 2019 PH averaged 3.9
In 2020 PH averaged 3.9
In 2021 PH averaged 3.7
In 2022 PH averaged 3.6
In 2023 PH averaged 3.4
In 2024 PH averaged 3.4

I know lots of things can affect PH, but was wondering if the age of the vine is something that affects PH? My vines were planted in 2016. Brix averaged about 24 in all years except 2024 where the average brix is about 23.

 

[wood1954]

How was the weather the last three weeks befor harvest? Warmer weather usually lowers malic acid. After fermentation and mlf your ph must be at least 3.6 or higher, if not maybe your grapes are high in tartaric acid, then cold stabilizing or aging should drop more acid.

Picked Itasca (24 Brix and 2.95 ph) and Marquette (21 Brix and 2.78 ph). I was really hoping my ph would have come up more this year. I have much better sugar, but still low ph. I know my soil is probably the issue, but I’ve been top dressing with lime at least twice a year for the last 5 years. I adjusted the Marquette, but hesitate with the Itasca because I don’t want to overshoot.

Itasca was pressed and I only got about 40% yield out of my must that was destemmed and crushed. Do other people get that low of a yield? Not too happy about that.

Friday we’re picking Petite Pearl and Frontenac. We’ve got some cold nights in the forecast, so I hope they won’t get affected with frost. The trials and tribulations of trying to grow grapes in the north! . Good thing is I had lots of help!!

View attachment 116600

i got 4 gallons of wine out of about 120 lbs of itasca grapes, I was hoping for 8. My berries were pretty small and had four seeds in each berry.

 

[countygrapeguy]

I have a few harvest details I thought I'd share. It's still a big learning process for me

So, for starters, I didn't spray anything on my vines this year. This will be the last time I have no spray program in place. Foliar phylloxera had some big impacts this year, and there were a lot of Asian lady bugs around.

Harvest started October 5th with L'Acadie + Frontenac Blanc, and ended October 27th with Verona. Some numbers:

L'Acadie - 2.25 tonnes/acre, 16.5 brix
Frontenac Blanc - 2.25 tonnes/acre, 20 brix
Crimson Pearl - 1.6 tonnes/acre, 21 brix
Marquette - 1.06 tonnes/acre, 20brix
Frontennac Noir - 4.33 tonnes/acre, 20.5brix
Petite Pearl - 2.5 tonnes/acre, 21brix
Verona total = 5.2 tonnes/acre, ~19brix

L'Acadie was hit pretty hard by fungal issues and had lost most of its leaves by time of harvest. I'm hoping a regular spray program will improve ripening. Marquette has has a serious lack of vigour at my site, but neighbours grow it at a much greater volume. They grow grafted vines, I think the difference is that native Marquette rooted vines don't fare well in this area.

Verona and Frontenac both are good producers here. I think Frontenac can have better brix with better foliar phylloxera control, and Verona can improve with better crop thinning. I'll test this out next year. Petite Pearl may improve its crop with age, the crop looked decent, but the cluster are considerably smaller than other varieties. I'll try leaving more buds next year. Crimson Pearl is still young, the vine grew well and I anticipate a better crop next year.

Overall I'm happy with the result. These vines are between 3 and 5 years old. I've got some younger vines that should produce next year such as Muscat Osceola and Swenson White. I plan on planting some more Verona next year too, I've found it very easy to grow and while the brix levels are on the low side, it does seem to be phenologicalyl ripe. I think with better care it can reach higher sugar levels and I'd like to experiment with appassimento drying techniques given this grape is described as being "reminiscent of the Valpolicella wines of Veneto".

 

[BRossi]

How was the weather the last three weeks befor harvest? Warmer weather usually lowers malic acid. After fermentation and mlf your ph must be at least 3.6 or higher, if not maybe your grapes are high in tartaric acid, then cold stabilizing or aging should drop more acid.

i got 4 gallons of wine out of about 120 lbs of itasca grapes, I was hoping for 8. My berries were pretty small and had four seeds in each berry.

It was actually pretty warm leading up to harvest, although the nights were getting cold. I did buy a bottle of Itasca from Parallel 44 and it was wonderful! So at least I know it can be a great white wine! Do you leave your Itasca in a cool location throughout fermentation or only first day? What yeast did you use?

I don’t have a way of cold stabilizing other than leaving my fermenters in the unheated shop overnight. Maybe in low 50’s. Then warm up to 72 second day of process. Next year I’m investing in a water pressure press. The cost is high, but I am hoping to get more yield from both white and reds with less effort and mess.

 

[ChuckD]

I don’t have a way of cold stabilizing other than leaving my fermenters in the unheated shop overnight.

Overnight is not long enough. I wait until spring when the lows at night are in the upper twenties or low thirties. I put insulation under the carboys and a big cardboard box over them. A few weeks like that and they drop whatever they can.

 

[BRossi]

Overnight is not long enough. I wait until spring when the lows at night are in the upper twenties or low thirties. I put insulation under the carboys and a big cardboard box over them. A few weeks like that and they drop whatever they can.

My carboys are stored at 55 all winter, so hopefully that helps.

 

[winemaker81]

My carboys are stored at 55 all winter, so hopefully that helps.

My cellar hits 58 F in the winter and wines I would not expect to drop crystals, do.

55 F is good for chill proofing. If you had really high tartaric acid, it might not be enough.

 

[wood1954]

It was actually pretty warm leading up to harvest, although the nights were getting cold. I did buy a bottle of Itasca from Parallel 44 and it was wonderful! So at least I know it can be a great white wine! Do you leave your Itasca in a cool location throughout fermentation or only first day? What yeast did you use?

I don’t have a way of cold stabilizing other than leaving my fermenters in the unheated shop overnight. Maybe in low 50’s. Then warm up to 72 second day of process. Next year I’m investing in a water pressure press. The cost is high, but I am hoping to get more yield from both white and reds with less effort and mess.

I did a cool ferment and used Vivace yeast by Renaissance, it’s pretty tart now, before I stick it outside this winter I’ll do a paper chromatography which will show a relative amount of tartaric vs malic, if it has a ton of malic I might put it thru MLF in the spring.