Hello all.

[Steve Chandler]

Hello everyone!
I am just in the planning phase, getting ready to grow a few chambourcin grapes on my 5 acres in middle Tennessee.
I see a lot of good information here about starting plants.
Where can I get cuttings or rooted plants for a good price?
Thanks!

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome to WMT! (I'll let someone who knows what they are talking about answer your question. )

 

[David Violante]

Welcome to WMT! A lot of folks, me included, use Double A Vineyards.

 

[Steve Chandler]

Thanks for your response, David Violante.
Can I ask a couple more questions about the chambourcin grape cuttings from Double A Vinyards?
On their website it shows a price of $12.95. Is this a good price?
I am planning on starting small. Maybe 20 vines in the beginning. Do you think I could get a better deal on the cuttings if I buy more? Maybe 50?
Thank you for your help.

 

[ChuckD]

Welcome to WMT. The other big one is Northeast Vine Supply. I’m very happy with their vines. The prices are similar, and reasonable. The vines are the cheapest part of the vineyard, and $12 isn’t bad for a plant that should outlast me.

 

[GSMChris]

Welcome to WMT!!

 

[Rice_Guy]

Welcome to WMT

The local vintners club will give springtime pruning of vines to whoever wants it. However chambourcin grape is south of where I am so I don’t anyone growing it. If you can find someone growing it they will have one year old canes they want to get rid of. (You can ask on WMT if anyone near XX does)

Have you ever done cuttings? Buying nursery stock will get you one or two years ahead of growing your own cuttings. From cuttings it is a five or four year process.

 

[VinesnBines]

Welcome! In my experience Chambourcin doesn’t root well off cuttings. Double A is great for Chambourcin vines. The 50 count is much cheaper but beware, my Chambourcin in SW Virginia at four and five years started bearing 10 to 12 pounds per vine. If you want 500 lbs in four years, go for the 50 vines. That wil net you 30 to 50 gallons. Winemaker_81 got 25 gallons this year off 300 lbs of my crop.

Chambourcin is a winner for me. I’ve got a quarter acre and considering more.

Note, the 50 vine requirement is a total of 50 anything from Double A. You can mix and match and add raspberries, elderberries or whatever to get to 50. Check with customer service to be sure.

If you like, PM me and we can work out a joint order. I’m positive I’ll be ordering more than 50 this year.

 

[David Violante]

Thanks for your response, David Violante.
Can I ask a couple more questions about the chambourcin grape cuttings from Double A Vinyards?

Really good answers above... there's nothing more really I could add. I haven't grown Chambourcin, only ordered from Double A.

 

[winemaker81]

Winemaker_81 got 25 gallons this year off 300 lbs of my crop.

The amount we grossed from the Chambourcin and Chelois was a surprise!

 

[Jovimaple]

Welcome to WMT!

 

[Steve Chandler]

The amount we grossed from the Chambourcin and Chelois was a surprise!

Do you mix them or just make straight Chambourcin wine?

 

[winemaker81]

Do you mix them or just make straight Chambourcin wine?

This is my second year making French-American hybrids since 1990, so I'm getting back into that arena.

The 2023 Chambourcin was aged in glass and bottled with 10% Merlot.

This 2024 Chambourcin and Chelois just went into barrel. We'll bottle next November. The tentative thought is to make swap 10% of the wines, making 90/10 blends. We won't know until we taste test.

We fermented two 23 liter Pinot Noir juice buckets with the pomace from the Chambourcin & Chelois, and that just went into barrel. There is a possibility of blending some of that into either the Chambourcin and/or Chelois.

 

[VinesnBines]

Bryan is fermenting my grapes. My 2023 Chambourcin is magnificent. Aromas of chocolate and dark fruits. Frankly the aroma is better than the taste but the taste is amazing!

Chelois is different but equally magnificent. Lots of bright red fruit and a touch of sweetness. I predict Bryan will go with 100 % of Chelois and 100% of Chambourcin as well as some blend of the two. Personally, I like the blend heavy on the Chelois.

Stay tuned!

 

[winemaker81]

I predict Bryan will go with 100 % of Chelois and 100% of Chambourcin as well as some blend of the two. Personally, I like the blend heavy on the Chelois.

Last month after my son & I crushed our grapes at Beth's vineyard, she and her husband served us 3 of their blends. My son has little experience with F-A hybrids (he wasn't even a gleam in my eyes the last time I made them), and we really liked the three served to us. Hence my thought of doing at least a bit of blending.

I'm posting about this years' wine in the following thread, as well as in an ongoing post on my site (URL in sig), so you can follow what is happening (assuming you're interested).

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/wm81-fall-2024-experiments.79290/

I have updates to make ...

 

[Steve Chandler]

Last month after my son & I crushed our grapes at Beth's vineyard, she and her husband served us 3 of their blends. My son has little experience with F-A hybrids (he wasn't even a gleam in my eyes the last time I made them), and we really liked the three served to us. Hence my thought of doing at least a bit of blending.

I'm posting about this years' wine in the following thread, as well as in an ongoing post on my site (URL in sig), so you can follow what is happening (assuming you're interested).

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/wm81-fall-2024-experiments.79290/

I have updates to make ...

I'm definitely interested. Thank you!