I just love this time of year!

[jswordy]

Boy, I love September in the South! I picked 130 pounds of muscadines this morning, enjoyed some of the vineyard owner's blue-ribbon muscadine, apple and peach wine, took in a couple fruit wine tips, got it all home and ready for the yeast tomorrow.

Mmmmmm.... should yield 12-15 gallons... my favorite wine, bar none.



Now time for farm fix-it chores...

 

[Rodnboro]

I picked about 50 pounds this morning before work from my neighbor's vines. Today was whites. I run in the mornings before daylight and can smell them when I run by his house about 100 yards away. Sweet smell of the South!

 

[Johny99]

In the north, the days are getting noticeably shorter, nights have a chill and winter is on its way! Me too, I love this time of year!

 

[jswordy]

Nice grapes! Wow.

This afternoon will be the yeast. Using the 100-year-old recipe dictated to a friend by his grandmother, whose husband was a moonshiner and would pick grapes in the woods while making his mash to create a "lady's drink" wine for her. It is the strangest wine recipe ever. But hey, Moonshiner's Muscadine took silver in Los Angeles, and I don't mess with success.

I wish I had more time, I would also make scuppernong (they are 24 Brix right now), but we are due to be on vacation end of the month so this will have to do for this year, I reckon.

 

[jswordy]

And it's already blooming. OMG, sweet!!!

 

[Boatboy24]

You're a gambling man, Jim. Not a lot of head room there. ::

 

[LoveTheWine]

I also love this time of year! about 7-10 days from harvest!

 

[spaniel]

Normally I really love this time too. However given my remodel issues described in another thread taking all my spare time, and a really challenging travel schedule for work, I was tardy getting my bird nets on. I've been waiting 5 years for a good crop of Marquette, and I lost them all to birds while I was on a 5 day work trip. I thought sure I'd have acceptable loss while I was gone, but when I got back they stripped them all and 80% of my other red varieties (which I subsequently netted).

On the up side, my Cayuga which I had to cut to the ground following a rough 2014 winter are back up to full production and I'll nearly tie the top production of 15-17 gallons from 20 vines I got prior to that rough winter.

 

[jswordy]

You're a gambling man, Jim. Not a lot of head room there. ::

Yeah, I'm gambling but there is not a lot of foam to the yeast. Lots of CO2 but not much foam. I've had to use books on top of the lid to keep it down, though. The bags keep wanting to float. The whole house smells like fermentation right now. Lovely!

 

[JohnT]

The whole house smells like fermentation right now. Lovely!

BENEFIT!! Just love that smell. An odor that announces "great things are on the way"! I just wish I could get that aroma in an air freshener...

 

[jswordy]

BENEFIT!! Just love that smell. An odor that announces "great things are on the way"! I just wish I could get that aroma in an air freshener...

Awww ... Yer just sayin' that cuz it ain't Welch's!

 

[Johnd]

Awww ... Yer just sayin' that cuz it ain't Welch's!

Baa-zingggg!!

 

[wpt-me]

I just bottled some. Black cherry / concord and will taste some
tonight!! lol

Bill

 

[jswordy]

I like the new press. The larger capacity makes quicker work out of the job.





Froze the grapes for a batch of Bell Bottom Blues in a couple weeks.



It yielded 12.5 gallons. A taste test says this will unfortunately not be a competition level wine. I kind of knew that when I was picking the grapes, but I always wear rose-colored glasses and hope for the best. It will be a nice wine for sipping, table use, or gifts. But it will not reach high enough to enter. Oh well, it is all about the fruit, and every vintage is different!

 

[jswordy]

"This air freshener is brimming with the distinctive, mouthwatering fragrance of Concord grapes straight from the vine. Sweet, juicy and refreshing."

Heheh...Heheheh...HEHEHEHEH!!!!

 

[LoveTheWine]

Nice looking press Jim!

 

[Boatboy24]

"This air freshener is brimming with the distinctive, mouthwatering fragrance of Concord grapes straight from the vine. Sweet, juicy and refreshing."

Heheh...Heheheh...HEHEHEHEH!!!!

Send a few of those to @JohnT !

I like your new press.

 

[JohnT]

Seriously??

I thought that air fresheners are supposed to cover up the bad smells and not add to them!!

 

[jswordy]

I like your new press.

Thanks. They had a whale of a deal on them about a year ago. I missed out on the absolute lowest price, but I did get it for about $50 less than what they are selling for now. I like the tilt feature quite a bit. And it is strong enough for fruit.

 

[garymc]

What is the capacity of the new press?