My plan for 2017 wine from California grapes

[Bill McNab]

Not really sure where the quality grapes are located. I mentioned Lodi because I had Petite Sirah premium grapes from there last year, very good wine as it turned out.
What areas would you suggest as premium.
Thanks
Bill.

 

[mainshipfred]

With what I think is the case for home winemakers is we really don't know the quality we are going to get. I'm sure there are premium grapes from Lodi and that is where most of mine come from. When you search for the best wine regions in Cali Lodi never appears. So I was thinking Sierra Foothills, Sonoma, NAPA, Paso Robles, etc. I just wasn't sure what you were considering premium.

 

[Bill McNab]

I imagine that the Wineries get the best grapes first, from the East here we are always subject to what they want to ship.
The premium grapes last year, PS, that I bought in Detroit looked excellent, fresh looking also. I was happy with them.
This year I am hoping that I can get them in Georgia, a CA shipper gave me the location. F Colavita and Son.
He even suggested that they could load my grapes last and drop them off as they make their way through TN.
I would have to crush and destem them myself, all 600 lbs of grapes.
I might have to buy a Crusher destemer which is about the same cost as driving to Detroit and back since I stay overnight and drive back the next day, 20 hours of driving though.

 

[Johnd]

With what I think is the case for home winemakers is we really don't know the quality we are going to get. I'm sure there are premium grapes from Lodi and that is where most of mine come from. When you search for the best wine regions in Cali Lodi never appears. So I was thinking Sierra Foothills, Sonoma, NAPA, Paso Robles, etc. I just wasn't sure what you were considering premium.

As I've want to do sometimes, I took your regions and ran some searches on WA, the only criteria in the search was the region identified and wines produced that scored over 90, here are the results:

Lodi - 57 total wines
40 Zinfandel
6 Petite Sirah
4 Cab. Sav.
2 Syrah

Sierra Foothills - 1 Total wine
1 Syrah

Sonoma - 3107 Wines
1174 Pinot Noir
339 Zinfandel
248 Cab. Sav
168 Syrah
32 Petite Sirah
4 Sangiovese
3 Barbera

Napa - 2149 total wines
1234 Cab Sav
334 Chardonnay
69 Cab Franc
59 Syrah
41 Petite Sirah
29 Zinfandel

Paso Robles - 561 total wines
59 Syrah
35 Cab Sav
22 Grenache
11 Mourvedre
11 Petite Sirah
1 Barbera

Obviously I didn't list every varietal, just the more numerous and popular varietals. As you can probably see from the list, the location of "premium" grapes depends upon the varietals. If you want Syrah, Sonoma looks to be a good choice of the above areas, Pinot Noir - Sonoma, etc. Of course, these are only WA wines and there are many more rating services, and many more AVA's out there.

Searching by varietal instead and not limiting the AVA's, Barbera for instance, yields the following areas where 90+ wines were produced in the US:
California Central Coast - 10
Colombia Valley - 8
North Coast Cali - 5

For Syrah:

• Central Coast (1,751)
• Central Valley (2)
• Columbia Gorge (1)
• Columbia Valley (915)
• Grand Valley (1)
• Long Island (1)
• North Coast (1,197)
• Sierra Foothills (17)
• Southern Oregon (27)
• Willamette Valley (8)

Just an interesting way to play around with the rating services to see if any insight can be gained when you are trying to figure out in which AVA the best bang for your buck may lie for a particular varietal.......

 

[mainshipfred]

I imagine that the Wineries get the best grapes first, from the East here we are always subject to what they want to ship.
The premium grapes last year, PS, that I bought in Detroit looked excellent, fresh looking also. I was happy with them.
This year I am hoping that I can get them in Georgia, a CA shipper gave me the location. F Colavita and Son.
He even suggested that they could load my grapes last and drop them off as they make their way through TN.
I would have to crush and destem them myself, all 600 lbs of grapes.
I might have to buy a Crusher destemer which is about the same cost as driving to Detroit and back since I stay overnight and drive back the next day, 20 hours of driving though.

For me buying that C/D would be a no brainer plus it's more fun doing it yourself.

 

[mainshipfred]

As I've want to do sometimes, I took your regions and ran some searches on WA, the only criteria in the search was the region identified and wines produced that scored over 90, here are the results:

Lodi - 57 total wines
40 Zinfandel
6 Petite Sirah
4 Cab. Sav.
2 Syrah

Sierra Foothills - 1 Total wine
1 Syrah

Sonoma - 3107 Wines
1174 Pinot Noir
339 Zinfandel
248 Cab. Sav
168 Syrah
32 Petite Sirah
4 Sangiovese
3 Barbera

Napa - 2149 total wines
1234 Cab Sav
334 Chardonnay
69 Cab Franc
59 Syrah
41 Petite Sirah
29 Zinfandel

Paso Robles - 561 total wines
59 Syrah
35 Cab Sav
22 Grenache
11 Mourvedre
11 Petite Sirah
1 Barbera

Obviously I didn't list every varietal, just the more numerous and popular varietals. As you can probably see from the list, the location of "premium" grapes depends upon the varietals. If you want Syrah, Sonoma looks to be a good choice of the above areas, Pinot Noir - Sonoma, etc. Of course, these are only WA wines and there are many more rating services, and many more AVA's out there.

Searching by varietal instead and not limiting the AVA's, Barbera for instance, yields the following areas where 90+ wines were produced in the US:
California Central Coast - 10
Colombia Valley - 8
North Coast Cali - 5

For Syrah:

• Central Coast (1,751)
• Central Valley (2)
• Columbia Gorge (1)
• Columbia Valley (915)
• Grand Valley (1)
• Long Island (1)
• North Coast (1,197)
• Sierra Foothills (17)
• Southern Oregon (27)
• Willamette Valley (8)

Just an interesting way to play around with the rating services to see if any insight can be gained when you are trying to figure out in which AVA the best bang for your buck may lie for a particular varietal.......

Good research, thanks

 

[Bill McNab]

Thank you Johnd,
Excellent research, many thanks.

 

[sour_grapes]

I also appreciated the "crosstabs," John. Thanks.

 

[jgmann67]

The wines are tasting very well. I might rack, hit them with kmeta and bottle in early June. The oak spiral was a great idea. I was thinking too about one last smack of tannin riche extra, but don’t want to keep futzing with it... we’re going on two years now.

 

[ibglowin]

Yea, that ship has sailed a long time ago. Time to bottle and move on. You will have more batches in the future to tweak if needed.

 

[jgmann67]

Bottling this weekend. Looking at about 110-115 750ml bottles. Going to do an ample amount of 375’s.

 

[jgmann67]

It was a back-breaker weekend. Bottled 4 carboys (3-6gals, 1-5gal).

Bottle prep was the hardest part. Had a big cache of bottles I picked up in 2017. There’s a lot less now. Processing them took most of the day.

There are about 105 750’s and 24 375’s.

They’ll sit for a week, then we’ll capsule and label. From there. We wait...

 

[sour_grapes]

Bottle prep was the hardest part.

I really do dislike that part. I have 21 gallons waiting to bottle due to that barrier.

 

[jgmann67]

I really do dislike that part. I have 21 gallons waiting to bottle due to that barrier.

Unfortunately, no way to do it but to go through it. I’m glad it’s done.

This wine is being split 3 ways - me (50%), my brother (40%) and my buddy (10%). I thinking I’ll let them capsule and label their own bottles.

 

[jgmann67]

Considering doing capsules today/tonight. Told my wife how much of a hassle it was lugging wine to the kitchen, boiling water, capsuling, then hauling everything right back down again.

“You need a hot plate/single burner down there.” She said...

“Yes, I do. That’s a great idea.” I said (having spent the previous 45 minutes online shopping for a good single burner for the wine room).

“I’ll get you one at Target... they can’t be too expensive.”

“You can get a decent one there for like $25. Thanks!” I replied (Knowing that the one they have is $5 cheaper).

Oh, the games we play.

 

[sour_grapes]

My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding!

 

[jgmann67]

 

[mainshipfred]

You should just gotten this same price and to me easier.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wagner-Furno-300-Heat-Gun-0503059/206723935

 

[jgmann67]

You should just gotten this same price and to me easier.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wagner-Furno-300-Heat-Gun-0503059/206723935

Old habits die hard. I can use this to heat up the first water addition to my kits (to dissolve the bentonite), too.

 

[Boatboy24]

You should just gotten this same price and to me easier.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wagner-Furno-300-Heat-Gun-0503059/206723935

I've thought about doing that. But I like using the boiling water, as the bit of steam on the bottle serves to clean it up pretty nicely. So I capsule, wipe, then label.