Marquette starting veraison......

[ibglowin]

About the same as last year time wise.

 

[treesaver]

I just netted my frontenac this morning. Just finished one row, and a mockingbird flew to that row and discovered his meal wasn't free anymore! lol

 

[Steve Wargo]

About the same as last year time wise.

View attachment 76711

I'd swear they were real. lol Gets me excited about the 2021 harvest

 

[jackl]

My Marquette hasn‘t started to turn yet. Probably about 2 weeks out and then I will net them. Looks like a good crop. Last year I was on vacation and the birds had a feast before I netted. We started out with a dry spring, but we’re having a wet humid summer. Japanese beetles are active, but I’ve been able to prevent any mildew with periodic fungicide applications.

 

[wood1954]

Looks like a well tended vineyard especially compared to mine. Did you have extreme weather during flowering? Your clusters are quite loose. I wonder what caused that.

 

[ibglowin]

We had a late frost post bud break this year (like usual) and then we have had some light hail during spring right round bloom. Not the prettiest clusters this year. Contrast the Marquette with the Noiret which is always several weeks behind and look at the difference.......

Looks like a well tended vineyard especially compared to mine. Did you have extreme weather during flowering? Your clusters are quite loose. I wonder what caused that.

 

[wood1954]

This is what my Marquette looks like, I have mostly secondary clusters, hopefully they will ripen.

 

[berrycrush]

Mine are all purple. Surprising considering they bud late this year.

 

[ibglowin]

We are moving along nicely here.

 

[Cynewulf]

I’m a little confused as to where I am with mine. I took a sample on 7/23 and was at 21.5 Brix and 3.02pH. I checked again today and was at 24 Brix and 3.12 pH but the pH meter’s batteries were fading so I replaced them, recalibrated and the juice was at 3.02. Guess I’ll check again this weekend with some fresh buffer solution. They taste pretty good.

 

[ibglowin]

You want to pick around 25-26 Brix if you can get there.

I’m a little confused as to where I am with mine. I took a sample on 7/23 and was at 21.5 Brix and 3.02pH. I checked again today and was at 24 Brix and 3.12 pH but the pH meter’s batteries were fading so I replaced them, recalibrated and the juice was at 3.02. Guess I’ll check again this weekend with some fresh buffer solution. They taste pretty good.

View attachment 77042
View attachment 77044

 

[Cynewulf]

You want to pick around 25-26 Brix if you can get there.

Thanks, I was hesitating as to whether I should harvest this weekend or hold out until my pH readings are closer to 3.3 but I’m a little worried about Brix getting away from me. The juice, skins, and seeds all taste good and not too acidic or bitter like the few clusters I let ripen last year. With your encouragement I might go ahead and pull them this weekend.

 

[Cynewulf]

You want to pick around 25-26 Brix if you can get there.

I had another question for you: I exchanged some messages with a winery in Virginia that grows Marquette and they were saying that in their vines’ early years the fruit ripened early though the chemistry was often screwy but as the vines got older they started ripening later in the summer/fall and the chemistry has stabilized and become more consistent. Has that been your experience where you are?

 

[ibglowin]

I have a unique growing situation. I live at high elevation (6700ft) and live in a high mountain dry desert climate. Our soils are thin and volcanic with tons of basalt rock underneath the soil. This creates a terroir that mimics a "rocks funk" in most wines. Our water is basic in pH as well as our soil. Because of these conditions I can get a high brix due to our heat and dry climate and due to our soil the grapes turn out with an unbelievable pH and TA. I usually have a pH around 3.6 and a TA around 6g/L. No adjustment in chemistry is needed. I seem to be ripening a few weeks earlier the last few years but I attribute that to warmer weather in the summer and less rains during our summer monsoon season.

 

[Cynewulf]

I have a unique growing situation. I live at high elevation (6700ft) and live in a high mountain dry desert climate. Our soils are thin and volcanic with tons of basalt rock underneath the soil. This creates a terroir that mimics a "rocks funk" in most wines. Our water is basic in pH as well as our soil. Because of these conditions I can get a high brix due to our heat and dry climate and due to our soil the grapes turn out with an unbelievable pH and TA. I usually have a pH around 3.6 and a TA around 6g/L. No adjustment in chemistry is needed. I seem to be ripening a few weeks earlier the last few years but I attribute that to warmer weather in the summer and less rains during our summer monsoon season.

Wow, those are nice numbers. Have you not noticed any difference in the ripening parameters between when they were young and first producing to now or have they been consistent from the beginning?

 

[Cynewulf]

I think these guys just decided for me: harvest is tomorrow (maybe tonight).

 

[ibglowin]

Pretty consistent over the years. I planted my vines back in the Spring of 2010. Mostly I see that th grapes are ripening earlier than back in 2012 when I got my first crop. Back then they would hang till the end of August or early September. Now they are doing good to make it till mid August at best. This is for the Marquette. The Noiret is always weeks behind since they break bud weeks later.

Wow, those are nice numbers. Have you not noticed any difference in the ripening parameters between when they were young and first producing to now or have they been consistent from the beginning?

 

[wood1954]

Hope you don’t get stung too often.

 

[Cynewulf]

Hope you don’t get stung too often.

Thanks. I did about half last night when they were getting sleepy and the rest this morning just as they were starting their workday so didn’t have any problems. Ended up with 85 lbs from about 25 third year vines.

 

[wood1954]

Nice harvest, good luck with your ferment