Local vineyard going to waste, picture here

[David Engel]

Hi All,

There is a nice winery/vineyard 15 minutes from my house. The entire vineyard (2 + acres) is Pino Noir. At the beginning of the year, all the vines had nice starts, looking healthy, all the clusters were forming on what looks like very mature vines. I went back yesterday to look at them and about keeled over. This is what I found. The entire vineyard looks like Mr. Freeze came through and every cluster looks like it is petrified. Was this lack of water?

I wanted to slap someone! I was hoping to talk him out of some grapes as my Pino Noir vines are a year or two away from worthy yield.

I'm in north western Washington (Puget Sound) and finding somewhere where they don't have a 5 or 10 lug , or acreage minimum is proving difficult. The prices for on-line for a 5 gallon bucket of grapes or must is ridiculously expensive. I can give up winemaking and buy wine easily for the cost (that's what my wife keeps suggesting).

Dave

 

[ChuckD]

I can give up winemaking and buy wine easily for the cost

where’s the fun in that?

Pity about the vineyard though. Looks to me like multiple diseases have infected the vines and grapes. Is the winery still open? I would imagine that, like most small businesses, they have a pretty high failure rate.

 

[anthocyanin]

@David Engel Not sure how far you're willing to travel to pick up grapes but there are several vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley just outside the Portland metro area that sell small quantities to home winemakers in the $1-2/lb price range. Might be too far to be worth it if you're way up north, but maybe not so bad from the Seattle area

 

[David Engel]

where’s the fun in that?

Pity about the vineyard though. Looks to me like multiple diseases have infected the vines and grapes. Is the winery still open? I would imagine that, like most small businesses, they have a pretty high failure rate.

I know Chuck... I am on a retirement fixed income and there is so much more I want to do in life besides try to make wine. I did invest in the the vines... will continue to endeavor in the hobby. Cheers!

 

[countygrapeguy]

They don't call Pinot the 'heartbreak grape' for nothing.

Here in Eastern Ontario the commercial growers are quite aggressive with sprays, I'd imagine that it's even more difficult in wet areas of the West coast.

 

[Neb Farmer]

Those grapes look like they've suffered a bad bout of powdery mildew, which WILL retard ther growth and petrify the fruit. Nasty stuff that will ruin your crop, for sure.