VinesnBines
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- Feb 5, 2020
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I have both Foch and Millot. The observations are correct. Millot is wild in growth and tough to harvest due to the small tight clusters. It is productive; I got 173 lbs off 20 vines. Millot should be high wire because it insists on clusters all along the cane.
Foch needs high wire too and is productive but not as much as Millot; 325 lbs off 60 vines. The birds go wild for Foch so netting is a must.
Both have early bud break so late frosts are a danger. Both have a fair secondary crop. Both have good disease resistance.
I’m really impressed with the wines. I made a Foch 65%/Millot 35% blend in 2023 that is a winner. So much so that the batch is nearly gone. I left the blend on the skins longer than recommended but it worked out to good tannins and a woody, dark fruit aroma.
The 2024 crops were fermented separately; Foch was 12 days on the skins and Millot was 14 days on the skins. I have Foch in a barrel and Millot is in line for a barrel. I also have a Foch blend with Baco Noir. I’ll have to check ratios.
My take; grow both.
Foch needs high wire too and is productive but not as much as Millot; 325 lbs off 60 vines. The birds go wild for Foch so netting is a must.
Both have early bud break so late frosts are a danger. Both have a fair secondary crop. Both have good disease resistance.
I’m really impressed with the wines. I made a Foch 65%/Millot 35% blend in 2023 that is a winner. So much so that the batch is nearly gone. I left the blend on the skins longer than recommended but it worked out to good tannins and a woody, dark fruit aroma.
The 2024 crops were fermented separately; Foch was 12 days on the skins and Millot was 14 days on the skins. I have Foch in a barrel and Millot is in line for a barrel. I also have a Foch blend with Baco Noir. I’ll have to check ratios.
My take; grow both.
