How can commercial wine cost under $3 a bottle?

[bshef]

Wow. No wonder the commercial California wines are so cheap. Nothing grown in Virginia goes for less than $1000 a ton. At least nothing I've seen.

 

[mainshipfred]

Wow. No wonder the commercial California wines are so cheap. Nothing grown in Virginia goes for less than $1000 a ton. At least nothing I've seen.

Do you buy your VA grapes by the ton. I buy by the lb and and the best price I can get is $1.50/lb although the most I buy is only 150-175 lbs. I can get them cheaper from Cali but I just want to make VA wine. Where in VA are you and if you don't mind my asking what vineyards do you get you grapes from?

 

[sour_grapes]

LOL, we’ve been down this road before! So you can rest easier, think about the varying degrees of “prior”..... One second before is prior, so’s a day, so is a week. Proper defines prior, so it’s the proper amount of prior planning. Planning your fall grape delivery a day ahead of time probably means you’ll be missing some needed items, that’s not proper prior planning. You buying this line of thinking? It’s really all I got......

I always like to say "Previous, Prepatory, Preceding, Proper Prior Planning, Plus Patience, Prevents Paltry, Pitiful, Piss-Poor Performance."

 

[bshef]

(Blush) I watch the VA Vineyard Association classified page. I don't buy grapes by the ton, yet. I'm planting a vineyard and either will sell grapes or buy to supplement a winery. By watching this forum, I've decided there is a market for hobby winemakers to buy several hundred pounds at a time.
I'm just east of Fredericksburg but my vineyard is/will be about 30 miles north of Bristol. So far mostly hybrids but maybe vinifera when I know more. Some hobby winemakers can wrangle small amounts of grapes or juice from the commercial vineyards by striking up friendships. I gleaned some Cab Franc this year. Could have picked quite a bit but didn't have the capacity.
Not the answers you wanted. Sorry.

 

[mainshipfred]

(Blush) I watch the VA Vineyard Association classified page. I don't buy grapes by the ton, yet. I'm planting a vineyard and either will sell grapes or buy to supplement a winery. By watching this forum, I've decided there is a market for hobby winemakers to buy several hundred pounds at a time.
I'm just east of Fredericksburg but my vineyard is/will be about 30 miles north of Bristol. So far mostly hybrids but maybe vinifera when I know more. Some hobby winemakers can wrangle small amounts of grapes or juice from the commercial vineyards by striking up friendships. I gleaned some Cab Franc this year. Could have picked quite a bit but didn't have the capacity.
Not the answers you wanted. Sorry.

I follow the VA Vineyards Assoc also and get their updates regularly. I was able to buy cases of bottles for $5.00 a case because of it. This time of year they are selling shiners and bulk wine which not being a licensed winery I cannot buy, nor would I want to. I'm up in NOVA and have a few sources for grapes. This year my VA wines were Viognier, Petit Manseng, Tannat, Petite Verdot and Norton. So it's $54.00/lug but I know when they were picked and what the numbers are before I buy them. The Cali folks are much luckier than we are.

 

[bshef]

I'm still piddling with little batches of wine, trying to learn, trying to keep a few vines alive, planning ahead and trying not to panic. I'm heading to the Hudson Valley this weekend to see a few places and try a few Baco Noir and Chelois wines. I'm on the hunt for that perfect hybrid that rivals a vinifera.

 

[cmason1957]

I'm still piddling with little batches of wine, trying to learn, trying to keep a few vines alive, planning ahead and trying not to panic. I'm heading to the Hudson Valley this weekend to see a few places and try a few Baco Noir and Chelois wines. I'm on the hunt for that perfect hybrid that rivals a vinifera.

If Norton grapes will grow in your area,you might want to try Crimson Cabernet. Cross between Norton and Cabernet Sauvignon. There are a few places around Missouri growing it, you might have to commit to an acre of vines. The wines are very tasty and I think it rivals some Vinifera wines.

 

[bshef]

I was real excited about Crimson Cab until I discovered I had to commit an acre and they are green potted, not dormant. I'm not equipped for green cutting planting, yet.