Hello from Brookville (Long Island), NY

[LenG]

Hi all,
I just stumbled upon this website and figured I'd give it a try. I've been TRYING to grow grapevines in my backyard for years now, largely without success. Most years I don't have much time to attend to the vines, and disease and pests undermine the vines. It's also been difficult because where the grape vines are planted, the soil is very clay-like. I did purchase vines from UC Davis years ago with rootstock that might tolerate such soil, but there's a concrete base from a prior structure about two feet under the soil, and there isn't anything I can do about that. Yikes, right? In spite of all this, the one year I had the time to devote to the vines, the grapes were wonderful. But then hordes of wasps beat me to them a couple of days before picking.
I haven't even gotten to the stage of making wine yet - and, in truth, that wasn't the original objective... I just like the look of grapevines in my back yard. But now that I have more time on my hands, who knows?

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome aboard!

 

[winemaker81]

Welcome to WMT!

Our membership includes a lot of growers, and if you post questions in the appropriate forums, you'll get qualified help.

If you think you'll want to make wine from your grapes, when they arrive, it's a good idea to start with kits. You can made good wine in a relatively controlled situation, and develop and understanding of the process before you add the complication of fresh fruit.