How to make good wine from marginal fruit?

[sdelli]

I will be a lot more selective in the vineyard/ vineyard manager and won't be going back to this particular vineyard. It really isn't about the $. While he was cheaper, $1100/ton vs $1300 ton ends up being very little difference per bottle.

Wow is that cheap! Must be because you are local.... We pay about $6k a ton landed in Mi for the grapes we purchase!

 

[Boatboy24]

The Zin fermented fast and smooth. Temps peaked at 86 but most of the time was spent between 78-82. The lot was split a few ways; 32 gallons pulled off to make a white Zin, 70 gallons of must fermented with D80, 70 gallons D254. We took the usable rejects, destemmed and through it in a bucket, perhaps 25 gallons worth (calling this the reserve). No bad smells, juice tastes fine. Pressing tomorrow.

Are you going to blend the D80 and D254 batches? I've read they make a pretty good combination.

 

[NorCal]

Wow is that cheap! Must be because you are local.... We pay about $6k a ton landed in Mi for the grapes we purchase!

Yea, local. Plenty of vineyards within a 20 minute drive. Not to rub it in, but here is a pic of a random cluster from the vineyard we got the Mourvèdre, $1300/ton

 

[NorCal]

Are you going to blend the D80 and D254 batches? I've read they make a pretty good combination.

Yes we are. We heard the same and 4Score and I used this same D80/D254 combination on Mourvèdre, Barbera and Zin this season.

 

[ibglowin]

Holy crap that looks better than a Playboy centerfold when I was much younger!

Yea, local. Plenty of vineyards within a 20 minute drive. Not to rub it in, but here is a pic of a random cluster from the vineyard we got the Mourvèdre, $1300/ton

 

[Kraffty]

Too funny mike, and accurate in a saddly / truly way

 

[winetortoise]

I respectfully disagree. The biggest part of winemaking happens in the vineyard. If you want great wine you need to start with great grapes. Mediocre grapes will give you good but not great wine. It will take work and chemicals to fix what is deficient and this will take away from flavor and aroma that will already be lacking.

As Rocky said, make it and decide if blending it with another wine will enhance it.

I wonder how that reflects on wild grown and harvested fruits, like muscadines, berries etc. Some of these plants produce fruits very well--sometimes even better than when cultivated--in their wild environment. Might foraged fruits, when well understood, produce similarly as tasteful and delicious wines, as from their grape-harvested counterparts? Fruit for thought...