It's February, So I'm thinking Chile...

[Boatboy24]

Yes, its early. But once the holiday euphoria wears off, I find myself thinking about what I'll be making for the Chilean harvest. Oh, who am I kidding? I've been thinking about it since I got the 2015 Californians into carboys. While I have yet to bottle or even complete my first true blend, I'm realizing the benefits blending brings. You really can bring a good wine to great. So, I'm looking to bring more variety into the mix without breaking the bank, or making hundreds of gallons. With that in mind, this Spring, I'm going back to the methods from my first foray into fresh fruit/juice. I will be making 4 batches from juice buckets, each augmented with 1-2 lugs of grapes. Its taken almost 3 years, but the Carmenere and Malbec I made this way in 2013 are really starting to shine.

So far, I've committed myself to Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon. For the other two, I'm leaning toward Syrah and Merlot. But I'm not 100% on that yet. I'm looking for input on what you think will blend well, but also stand on its own, potentially.

What are you making this Spring?

 

[Steve_M]

What is the benefit of the buckets and adding grapes, if you could just go all grape?
Strictly talking about Spring Chilean grapes/juice.
I don't have any plans (right now) for Spring but.....

Steve

 

[ceeaton]

What are you making this Spring?

The field blend that you and @heatherd guided me though last spring is shaping up to be a very good blend (Merlot bucket, lugs of Merlot, Cab Sauv, Malbec). So this year I'm going to jump to the other "bank" and do a Cab Sauv bucket with Cab Sauv, Merlot and Cab Franc lugs. Like you said in your post, it will probably be two or three years before I really know what the potential of this wine is, but for the cost of an Eclipse kit with shipping for 10 gallons of non kit wine, it's worth the risk. Also doing two buckets of the Pinot Grigio since those turned out really well, and were very drinkable by last fall. Might (if wifey approved) do either a Pinot Noir or a Syrah with a lug to try something new and different.

Some day I'll advance to your stage and try my hand at blending, but at this point I'm just learning what I like, and these cheap buckets are a great way to experiment.

 

[Boatboy24]

What is the benefit of the buckets and adding grapes, if you could just go all grape?
Strictly talking about Spring Chilean grapes/juice.
I don't have any plans (right now) for Spring but.....

Steve

1) you can do grape wine without a crusher/destemer or a press. With the small quantity of actual grapes involved, you can do everything by hand.

2) A 6gal bucket of juice costs about $55. The lug of grapes another $28 or so. You get 7 gallons of wine for under $100, after you add yeast, additives and MLB. And IMHO, what you end up with is much more like a commercial wine and less like a kit. The kits you could get in this price range can't even come close to comparing. (again, IMHO) 7 gallons of wine from grapes costs significantly more than this to do. I've got my cost for 'all grape' down to $5-6 per bottle. But with this method its closer to $3.

I'm drinking my 2013 Malbec made this way right now and I've got to say, I don't think its lacking anything.

 

[Matty_Kay]

Great topic, I too have been thinking about what to make this spring and I think I change my mind daily. I plan on keeping it to 2 reds, Carmenere for sure and maybe a Syrah. I'll probably take the same approach as Jim and add 1-2 lugs of grapes to juice buckets. I did that last spring and in the fall and so far happy with the results. I did a Chilean Malbec and a Carmenere/Malbec blend that has the potential to be my favorite wine I've made thus far. Most likely try my hand at all grapes in the fall.

 

[sdelli]

What is the benefit of the buckets and adding grapes, if you could just go all grape?

Strictly talking about Spring Chilean grapes/juice.

I don't have any plans (right now) for Spring but.....



Steve

Be very careful in considering grapes from South America! The juice seems to have a decent track record of chance of any quality.... Fresh grapes... Huge gamble! Way too far away to ship fresh fruit! That is why you buy juice and add your own..... I have 3 5lbs bags of grapes I froze from the fall fermentation to be added to juices....

 

[geek]

I am thinking about a small batch of Zinfandel or Malbec, from grapes....I think I'd never go back to juice buckets even with crushed grapes in the mix...personally I think that will never get me the wine quality that I get from all grapes.

 

[sdelli]

I am thinking about a small batch of Zinfandel or Malbec, from grapes....I think I'd never go back to juice buckets even with crushed grapes in the mix...personally I think that will never get me the wine quality that I get from all grapes.

I agree 100%..... But not from Chili

 

[ceeaton]

I agree 100%..... But not from Chili

I think it really depends on the supplier. I got mine last spring from where Jim and Heather get theirs and I've never once heard them complain about their grapes from Chile. The ones I received last spring were in very good condition.

They must have figured out some way of getting them up here in good condition, just look at all the table grapes from Chile in the grocery stores in the spring. My kids love them.

 

[heatherd]

It does depend on the supplier. I have always gotten great product from Harford Vineyard, as @ceeaton mentioned.

 

[Tnuscan]

1) you can do grape wine without a crusher/destemer or a press. With the small quantity of actual grapes involved, you can do everything by hand.

2) A 6gal bucket of juice costs about $55. The lug of grapes another $28 or so. You get 7 gallons of wine for under $100, after you add yeast, additives and MLB. And IMHO, what you end up with is much more like a commercial wine and less like a kit. The kits you could get in this price range can't even come close to comparing. (again, IMHO) 7 gallons of wine from grapes costs significantly more than this to do. I've got my cost for 'all grape' down to $5-6 per bottle. But with this method its closer to $3.

I'm drinking my 2013 Malbec made this way right now and I've got to say, I don't think its lacking anything.

Are you getting the juice and the grapes at the same place? Where?
I'm thinking about trying this, I'm wanting Merlot and Cab. Sauv.

 

[Boatboy24]

Are you getting the juice and the grapes at the same place? Where?
I'm thinking about trying this, I'm wanting Merlot and Cab. Sauv.

Yes, north of Baltimore at Harford Winery.

 

[Johnd]

I'm looking at getting some must from Musto Wine Group ( new name for the M&M wine folks). You order the lugs, they destem and crush into pails, freeze and ship to you. I know I gotta pay some fees for all that, but down here, it's a good option for me to make wine from grapes. Any experiences with these guys?

 

[geek]

I'm looking at getting some must from Musto Wine Group ( new name for the M&M wine folks). You order the lugs, they destem and crush into pails, freeze and ship to you. I know I gotta pay some fees for all that, but down here, it's a good option for me to make wine from grapes. Any experiences with these guys?

You cannot go wrong with M&M.

 

[Tnuscan]

Yes, north of Baltimore at Harford Winery.

Thanks,
Looks like a 11.5 hr. drive either way , to Presque Iles or Harford.
My closest winery is only doing local grapes this year.

Maybe I can figure something out, I was wanting to try both pail and grapes (Merlot & Cab) this spring, if not I will be making the drive in the fall for sure.
Would probably be to long from pickup, to procedure anyway. Around 17 to 20 hours after initial pickup.

JohnT's post/small article, painted a picture in my mind, that has motivated me. Along with your thread "It's February, So I'm thinking Chile... lol

 

[Philly]

I bought my Chilean grapes from Collinwood Grape in Cleveland, they work directly with a grower in CHILE. I made two wines, one was a Malbec/ Carmenere blend.80/20 The other was Cab Sauv I was very impressed with the quality, no H2S, just huge fruit. I understand the grapes come from the Colchagua and Maipo Valleys. They have a Syrah from Aconcagua Valley that has the Eastern face in Mendozza Argentina. I have read about others having problems with Chilean grapes, I can only speak of mine for the last couple of years, and the quality is very comparable to Sonoma.

 

[heatherd]

I am skipping spring and planning to do an all-grape batch of Maryland Traimenette in the fall from Harford Vineyard.

My Maryland Seyval Blanc all-grape batch from last fall was the best of the eight batches I did in 2015.

 

[Boatboy24]

I am skipping spring and planning to do an all-grape batch of Maryland Traimenette in the fall from Harford Vineyard.

Are you getting whole grapes? Just your mention of that wine sent my taste buds into a frenzy.

 

[heatherd]

Are you getting whole grapes? Just your mention of that wine sent my taste buds into a frenzy.

Yes, I will get whole grapes in the fall. I figure that I might as well do batches of Maryland grapes since I have access to them through Harford.

 

[Johnd]

Well, bit the bullet today and placed the order, first foray into wine from nothing but grapes with two Chileans. Ordered two 5 gallon pails of Cabernet Sauvignon, and two of Malbec. It'll be a good skills test for me before fall. Should be shipping end of May, plenty of time to prep.