Homebrewer to wine-maker, to grape grower

[JeremyK]

Hello!

I came across this site when researching information regarding Marquette grapes. What I found was a 17+ page discussion full of useful and friendly information, so I decided to sign up.

Next spring I'm putting in a micro-vineyard of 50 plants at what is currently a vacation rental that my wife and I own in Frankfort, MI (right on Lake Michigan). I considered a more "traditional" grape due to the relatively mild climate (5A) but decided to go with Marquette for somewhat better disease resistance and not wanting to ever worry about all my vines getting killed on the rare winter where Lake Michigan completely freezes over. I was tempted to put in Pinot Noir but I thought that Marquette would be more beginner friendly, from both the growing and winemaking prospective.

I've got a really challenging bluff location (WSW exposure) with about a 40+ degree slope and direct exposure to seasonal high winds. I've spent the last few days stringing out my rows and tweaking my end/line post positions (not final positions in photo). I'm also beginning the laborious process of creating some terracing to reduce erosion and the physical danger of walking the rows.

Currently planning a quadrilateral VSP system (2 fruiting wires) but am just beginning the layout. Can't wait to get some plants in the ground.

 

[Bossbaby]

beautiful property, good luck with your new endeavors!!

 

[hounddawg]

Welcome to WMT
Dawg

 

[sour_grapes]

Hello!

I came across this site when researching information regarding Marquette grapes. What I found was a 17+ page discussion full of useful and friendly information, so I decided to sign up.

Next spring I'm putting in a micro-vineyard of 50 plants at what is currently a vacation rental that my wife and I own in Frankfort, MI (right on Lake Michigan). I considered a more "traditional" grape due to the relatively mild climate (5A) but decided to go with Marquette for somewhat better disease resistance and not wanting to ever worry about all my vines getting killed on the rare winter where Lake Michigan completely freezes over. I was tempted to put in Pinot Noir but I thought that Marquette would be more beginner friendly, from both the growing and winemaking prospective.

I've got a really challenging bluff location (WSW exposure) with about a 40+ degree slope and direct exposure to seasonal high winds. I've spent the last few days stringing out my rows and tweaking my end/line post positions (not final positions in photo). I'm also beginning the laborious process of creating some terracing to reduce erosion and the physical danger of walking the rows.

Currently planning a quadrilateral VSP system (2 fruiting wires) but am just beginning the layout. Can't wait to get some plants in the ground.

View attachment 69188

Welcome to WMT!

Awesome location. Ummm, would you mind letting me anchor at your property for a few days if I sail over some year? I'll bring some wine.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Welcome to WMT
A FYI, your vineyard will be a third bigger than mine, I have two each of several varieties. My experience is that lots of spraying is required with anything that has a big percentage of vinifera genetics in it, edelweiss, concord and briana are more tolerant of our moist climate or missing a spray since we are on vacation. Marquette Foch and Millot are on the better side of disease resistance. ...but I sometimes debate cutting off anything with vinifera genetics.
GOOD LUCK ON THE PROJECT. A beautiful location.

 

[VinesnBines]

Good luck! Grapes love to see water - not have wet feet. I'm interested in your terraced layout; I have some fairly steep terrain that makes mechanical maintenance rather tricky. Keep us posted on progress. It is a gorgeous view.

 

[montanarick]

A lot steeper than my vineyard above Flathead Lake in Montana

 

[JeremyK]

Welcome to WMT!

Awesome location. Ummm, would you mind letting me anchor at your property for a few days if I sail over some year? I'll bring some wine.

I don't think that would be a problem, however the only way a normal guy like me can afford a place like this is to rent it out in the summer...so we're not around very often during the peak season. We are only two miles south of the Frankfort Marina, so pretty easy to find....and of course we'll be the only house with a vineyard on the bluff.

 

[sour_grapes]

I really do hope to sail to Michigan some time in the next few years. I understand that the cruising sites (and sights!) are wonderful up in your neck of the woods.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

Welcome aboard.
I'm all those things to we have 30+ Muscat vines and a few Riesling. These are just in our back yard, some in rows in the garden, others grow up a trellis and over our patio.
Also homebrew, and am in a similar climate just a couple hours East of you.

 

[JeremyK]

Questioning now if I should plant more variety, but was concerned about different ripening schedules, training, etc. Thought it might be more simple to grow one variety...but kinda putting all my eggs in one basket....and there is part of me that would really like to experiment with this growing location to see what it is capable of supporting.

My original plan was only 12-15 plants but then I realized that the $/plant goes down considerably when buying in bulk....hence 50 plants. Seems I might end up falling into the catagory of too much to drink, to little to sell.

If I can make some decent wine, I do plan to offer it to our vacation rental guests as a complimentary gift....so that will eat up about 15 bottles per year.

 

[CTDrew]

Welcome! Good luck with your project. I think you picked a strong variety, and you'll be happy with that choice. In my hobby block, zone 6, they do quite well, though I don't have that awesome hillside lake front!

 

[GreenEnvy22]

Questioning now if I should plant more variety, but was concerned about different ripening schedules, training, etc. Thought it might be more simple to grow one variety...but kinda putting all my eggs in one basket....and there is part of me that would really like to experiment with this growing location to see what it is capable of supporting.

My original plan was only 12-15 plants but then I realized that the $/plant goes down considerably when buying in bulk....hence 50 plants. Seems I might end up falling into the catagory of too much to drink, to little to sell.

If I can make some decent wine, I do plan to offer it to our vacation rental guests as a complimentary gift....so that will eat up about 15 bottles per year.

Having too much wine is a constant issue for us. We wife and I don't drink much wine ourselves, maybe a bottle a month. I make at least 100 bottles a year, usually more like 200-300. We give a lot away, but still the cellar is getting pretty tight. Now that's not all from our vines, my wife's family are all commercial grape growers so I get lots of free grapes. With 50 vines I'd expect maybe 130-170L of juice once they are mature (based on volume from my 30, but ours are also not pruned for maximum efficiency as we want them to be shade over the patio as well).

 

[VinesnBines]

Most nurseries will allow you to mix varieties for 50 plants. You might want a white for 1/2 the lot, though you are correct that varieties will ripen at different times. Your yield will depend on many factors, weather, trellis system, cluster thinning. Twenty five vines would be a suggested minimum to get a consistent crop.

 

[Khristyjeff]

Having too much wine is a constant issue for us. We wife and I don't drink much wine ourselves, maybe a bottle a month. I make at least 100 bottles a year, usually more like 200-300. We give a lot away, but still the cellar is getting pretty tight. Now that's not all from our vines, my wife's family are all commercial grape growers so I get lots of free grapes. With 50 vines I'd expect maybe 130-170L of juice once they are mature (based on volume from my 30, but ours are also not pruned for maximum efficiency as we want them to be shade over the patio as well).

1 bottle a month.

 

[JeremyK]

I had too much time over Christmas break. As a result, I have added plans to irrigate and changed my vine training plans as well.

Seems that TWC will be much simpler to install, improve yield, cost less, and have reduced vine maintenance over VSP/MWC...so pretty easy decision. As for irrigation...I don't think it's typically needed in MI. However, when digging post holes I observed that 1/2 of the vineyard is on sandy loam with fine gravel and the other <1/2 is mostly sand (like beach sand) with a very thin layer of topsoil. I think irrigation might actually be necessary for those plants...just to survive those first couple of years. Already bought the parts, so don't try to talk me out of it.

Question: Do I need a middle catch wire on a TWC system or can I really get away with only two wires? Should put the irrigation tube/emitters on the ground or raise it to a low wire?

Really looking forward to getting some plants into the ground in April and getting some pictures up for everyone.

 

[Vern]

I had too much time over Christmas break. As a result, I have added plans to irrigate and changed my vine training plans as well.

Seems that TWC will be much simpler to install, improve yield, cost less, and have reduced vine maintenance over VSP/MWC...so pretty easy decision. As for irrigation...I don't think it's typically needed in MI. However, when digging post holes I observed that 1/2 of the vineyard is on sandy loam with fine gravel and the other <1/2 is mostly sand (like beach sand) with a very thin layer of topsoil. I think irrigation might actually be necessary for those plants...just to survive those first couple of years. Already bought the parts, so don't try to talk me out of it.

Question: Do I need a middle catch wire on a TWC system or can I really get away with only two wires? Should put the irrigation tube/emitters on the ground or raise it to a low wire?

Really looking forward to getting some plants into the ground in April and getting some pictures up for everyone.

I installed my irrigation at 12" seems to work good for me.

 

[VinesnBines]

Question: Do I need a middle catch wire on a TWC system or can I really get away with only two wires? Should put the irrigation tube/emitters on the ground or raise it to a low wire?

You need something at 2 or 3 feet for the baby vines to hang on as they reach for the top wire. You may not get 1st year growth to the top wire.

As far as irrigation, you can put the emitters on the ground but think about how you are cultivating around the vines and weed control. If you can, I would advise raising to a low wire.

I know you said not to try to talk you out of irrigation, so I'll relate my experience. I did use irrigation on my first 1/4 acre. It was a dry year in 2019 and in September, the vines were suffering so I needed to irrigate after a month without a drop of rain. Since then, the dripline has been a hinderance to weeding and mowing. I did not try to irrigate the next 3/4 acre and as it turned out 2020 was extremely wet.

 

[JeremyK]

Lost our snow last week, so back on the bluff cutting some paths and getting wire installed... well, my wife was cutting the paths. Planting might be slightly more difficult but i wanted to have this work behind me before spring... and I'm planning to use a drill auger attachment to speed that process along. Soil is not compacted, so not too worried about root development with a smallish 4" diameter hole.

Trying out a modified TWC... but with two "top" wires. Will select/train spurs down on the lower of the two wires eventually... but plan to start with traditional TWC, using just the top wire to train cordons at first.

 

[montanarick]

wow and I thought that my vineyard was steep! I had TWC on my Marquettes and Frontencs but after 5 years decided to go instead with VSP. for a small vineyard, I think it's easier to maintain and once grapes are ripe, it's definitely better at keeping birds from picking vines clean (of course bird netting is a must).