New jersey winemakers talk

[joeswine]

Are not the pine barrens in NJ?

 

[dizzy]

They are, but I didn't live in NJ for 20 years- split as soon as I graduated.

 

[Ajmassa]

Making my first batch of wine in a couple weeks, hopefully for my partner's and mine celebration (next year? when will things be normalish again, sigh. but! plenty of time for aging). Moved to NJ during the pandemic but I grew up in the Pine Barrens so I guess I'm Jersey enough for this thread. I pass by Procacci bros on my way home from work few times a week but I'm excited to give GP's a try, good excuse to get to the Pines too. Unsure if will start with a white (easier?) or red (juice and a lug or two of grapes, I guess a lil harder). My bf has a lot of mead and cider making experience.

whether red juice or white juice doesn’t make anything easier or harder for ya. The fresh juice buckets are perfect for new winemakers I think. Better than a kit imo because they just hand you a bucket. And a pack of yeast.No instructions. No chemicals. Just you. Your juice. And your yeast. And when you end up with some decent wine you know YOU made it!

And I’ve been driving thru the pineys a lot lately. been working in cape may court house Taking back roads.
The women from the pineys that I know could probably beat up most men I know.lol. They don’t take no sh*t! Tho I would think a piney would be more of a moonshine kinda gal- not a wino. Go figure. (Maybe I’m just a Pineyist.)

 

[BMarNJ]

Making my first batch of wine in a couple weeks, hopefully for my partner's and mine celebration (next year? when will things be normalish again, sigh. but! plenty of time for aging). Moved to NJ during the pandemic but I grew up in the Pine Barrens so I guess I'm Jersey enough for this thread. I pass by Procacci bros on my way home from work few times a week but I'm excited to give GP's a try, good excuse to get to the Pines too. Unsure if will start with a white (easier?) or red (juice and a lug or two of grapes, I guess a lil harder). My bf has a lot of mead and cider making experience.

Welcome! I like GP for most everything, what they have is very well priced, carboys are especially. I buy the rest online (Morewine or piwine). I’m also new to wine making and am planning my 3rd juice pail with a grape lug batch this Sept.

 

[sour_grapes]

Making my first batch of wine in a couple weeks, hopefully for my partner's and mine celebration (next year? when will things be normalish again, sigh. but! plenty of time for aging). Moved to NJ during the pandemic but I grew up in the Pine Barrens so I guess I'm Jersey enough for this thread. I pass by Procacci bros on my way home from work few times a week but I'm excited to give GP's a try, good excuse to get to the Pines too. Unsure if will start with a white (easier?) or red (juice and a lug or two of grapes, I guess a lil harder). My bf has a lot of mead and cider making experience.

Welcome to WMT!

 

[pgentile]

Making my first batch of wine in a couple weeks, hopefully for my partner's and mine celebration (next year? when will things be normalish again, sigh. but! plenty of time for aging). Moved to NJ during the pandemic but I grew up in the Pine Barrens so I guess I'm Jersey enough for this thread. I pass by Procacci bros on my way home from work few times a week but I'm excited to give GP's a try, good excuse to get to the Pines too. Unsure if will start with a white (easier?) or red (juice and a lug or two of grapes, I guess a lil harder). My bf has a lot of mead and cider making experience.

Speaking from PA but grew up in New Jersey myself, lived all over south jersey for many years. Can't go wrong with either GP or Procacci. But if you are looking for a wine a year out, might want to try white juice buckets. Voignier, Sauv Blanc or even chardonnay. Red juice buckets with or without lugs will be young and while drinkable will not be at their peak. The whites especially the sauv blanc will be closer. I've done a few buckets of voignier in the past few years and at 6-12 months are very good.

 

[porkchopmessiah]

I'll be making the pilgrimage to gino pinto on Saturday morning, anybody up for coffee?...cant hang long, I got 15 lugs to crush....

 

[BMarNJ]

I'll be making the pilgrimage to gino pinto on Saturday morning, anybody up for coffee?...cant hang long, I got 15 lugs to crush....

OH no! Are the grapes in?

 

[porkchopmessiah]

OH no! Are the grapes in?

Yeah, came in beginning of week...I thought they would call me, but I called to see if they had a target date (getting 2 diff grapes and 2 juice buckets)...I'm coming from bergen county so makes for a long day with crushing

 

[BMarNJ]

Geez thanks, I’ll call tomorrow. I thought it would be closer to the end of the month. There goes my plans for next week at the shore.

 

[BMarNJ]

Yeah, came in beginning of week...I thought they would call me, but I called to see if they had a target date (getting 2 diff grapes and 2 juice buckets)...I'm coming from bergen county so makes for a long day with crushing

Coming from Bergen, that is a long day, but if you need a break stop in at Bagliani’s market. Great cheese selection.. sausages etc.

 

[Ajmassa]

Coming from Bergen, that is a long day, but if you need a break stop in at Bagliani’s market. Great cheese selection.. sausages etc.

You can still plan your pickup to what works better for you I believe. All the suppliers bring in multiple truckloads throughout the season. Pintos even has their own fleet of refrigerated trucks and makes several trips across the country. You can just call and ask if your stuff would be available on your preferred day.

Im doing 2 wines this season. Shooting for Saturday the 19th to pickup over at Procacci Bro’s. No pre-orders there. Just pickup at your own convenience.
My other grapes I ordered from Keystone Homebrew for the first time. I was told to expect those grapes early to mid Oct.

 

[Ajmassa]

I'll be making the pilgrimage to gino pinto on Saturday morning, anybody up for coffee?...cant hang long, I got 15 lugs to crush....

No Pintos for me this year. I’ll be making just about the same volume as you. But doing it in 2 separate crush days.

what are you making this year?

 

[porkchopmessiah]

No Pintos for me this year. I’ll be making just about the same volume as you. But doing it in 2 separate crush days.

what are you making this year?

Zin and sangiovese....will blend a portion of each keeping some unblended..
The blend I made of cab and zin from last fall was my best so far....
Having trouble with the merlot/pinotage from the spring I may have to pick ur brain on at so.e point

 

[Mac60]

Yeah, came in beginning of week...I thought they would call me, but I called to see if they had a target date (getting 2 diff grapes and 2 juice buckets)...I'm coming from bergen county so makes for a long day with crushing

Wow that's a ride for you, when I lived up in Bergen County I would go to Corrados. Did Corrados get that bad to you make 100+ mile trip to Gino Pinto's?
Now that I'm down in Ocean County I use Gino Pintos.
We are making Zin and Super Tuscan, 78 Lugs in total, too much to pickup, Gino Pinto delivers it.
This year we went for all Lanza and LMP, except for the Zins we went with Amador Gold we are expecting them 1st or 2nd week of October.
Just loaded up the wine cellar with last years vintage

 

[porkchopmessiah]

Wow that's a ride for you, when I lived up in Bergen County I would go to Corrados. Did Corrados get that bad to you make 100+ mile trip to Gino Pinto's?
Now that I'm down in Ocean County I use Gino Pintos.
We are making Zin and Super Tuscan, 78 Lugs in total, too much to pickup, Gino Pinto delivers it.
This year we went for all Lanza and LMP, except for the Zins we went with Amador Gold we are expecting them 1st or 2nd week of October.
Just loaded up the wine cellar with last years vintageView attachment 65859

In a word ...yes

 

[mainshipfred]

Wow that's a ride for you, when I lived up in Bergen County I would go to Corrados. Did Corrados get that bad to you make 100+ mile trip to Gino Pinto's?
Now that I'm down in Ocean County I use Gino Pintos.
We are making Zin and Super Tuscan, 78 Lugs in total, too much to pickup, Gino Pinto delivers it.
This year we went for all Lanza and LMP, except for the Zins we went with Amador Gold we are expecting them 1st or 2nd week of October.
Just loaded up the wine cellar with last years vintageView attachment 65859

I'm so jealous of your VCT's

 

[Mac60]

I'm so jealous of your VCT's

These do make it much easier for, racking, cleaning, and storing. We use Wine Spirals in the tanks and oak barrels which are all neutral.https://www.infusionspiral.com/infusion-spiral-systems/american-oak-barrel-pack.html
We just order another 200LT so we don't have to rack into glass anymore. This year we will be running 2 -150LT VCT's 1-200 LT VCT and 1 250LT VCT and for aging we have 2 55 Gallon American Oak and 1 30 Gallon French Oak

 

[Bubba1]

Just picked up 16 lugs from Europa Pombalence 8 sangiovese 8 cab Sauv
I let you guys know how it goes didn't have time for pictures i was all alone on this one.

 

[Ajmassa]

Not sure how bad it’s been for others, but in my area the fruit flies are here. Seeing them around a good bit despite no wine fermenting, no fruit on counter, no nothing. Yet still seeing them throughout the house. Not a lot. But frequently enough that they’re presence is felt
Can only imagine how they will be once wines cookin.

These Hot-Shot No-Pest Strips have earned a top spot on my essential wine season checklist. Work extremely well. Unlike the BarPro brand the HotShot brand is allowed to be sent to NJ
(Yes I’m aware of the health hazards. And no, I don’t care.)

#PTSD