Is there a forum for making wine from grapes you grow?

[DesertDance]

Just wondering. We went to a seminar and got boatloads of info including instructions for making wine from your OWN vineyard. We have the vineyard. Grapes are 5 years old. Refuse to buy grapes. We grow them. Is there a forum for grape growers? Whole different ballgame.

 

[sour_grapes]

Is your question a serious question?

Every topic on this forum goes under the general heading of

Wine Making & Grape Growing Forum >

One of the forums in particular is entitled:

Wine Making & Grape Growing Forum > Grape Growing / Vineyard Management / Commercial Winery > Grape Growing & Vineyard Forum

 

[DesertDance]

So Paul, show me the pleasure of walking the vineyard. The smell, the joy, the "ooops" What is that? Are the tendrils healthy in spring? They should be. If not, what?

 

[grapeman]

Hi DesertDance. How are you doing now days? Are the grapes still growing in containers or did you get some more land to set them in the ground?

 

[DesertDance]

We have 1.5 acres, and they are in ground, head trained. Steep slope.

 

[grapeman]

Sounds great! You have some great varieties growing.

 

[DesertDance]

All heat lovers. Zinfandel, Alicante Bouchette, Mourvedre, Malbec, Cab Sauvignon, And some greek and spanish and argentine vines.

 

[Runningwolf]

Hi DesertDance, good to hear from you again!

 

[DesertDance]

We will not buy grapes. The deal is to grow them. We have 3 year olds with clusters. I think we need to pinch, but that is tough.

 

[DesertDance]

At the seminar I asked, " Do you blend in the primary or after." Jury is out. Many opinions.

 

[garymc]

I've also thought about your original post in this thread. There is a forum entitled "Wine Making from Grapes" which fooled me a couple of times thinking it meant grapes as opposed to buckets, kits, juice, concentrate, etc. But what it means is grapes as opposed to watermelons, strawberries, gummybears, etc.

 

[seth8530]

I am not an expert on wine making from grapes, but I would tend to lean towards blending after fermentation since it gives the winemaker more control over the flavor profile.

 

[garymc]

When you blend the fruit right from the start, it's called a field blend. I have a batch currently going that was done that way. I've been making muscadine and elderberry wine and blending them. The muscadines are a bit acidic and the elderberries lacking in acidity, so I'm trying a field blend without otherwise adjusting for acidity. We'll see.

As Seth pointed out, it's a bit of a shot in the dark, but I like to try and minimize the stuff I'm putting in my wine.