Split grapes

[hamos]

We have a few grapes in the garden, planted just a few years ago. Last year half of them had lots of mould and were ruined. This year we had just a slight mould, not enough to see, but enough to cause the grapes to split.

They still tasted good so I decided to try using them anyway. Mostly Shiraz but some others mixed in too. No idea how many really - no point measuring them because they had lost a lot of their water. Making a batch with some black peaches thrown in too.

Tastes fantastic. Its still early days (picked and started 3 weeks ago) but it looks to be one of the best batches ever.

 

[grapeman]

Good luck with the batch hamos. I hope it turns out great for you. Better luck next year with the grapes.

 

[JohnT]

I know that there are anti-fungal chemicals you can apply to your grapes. Another option is to reevaluate how your vine are pruned. You may want to prune in such a way that the grapes are exposed to full sun. This may keep them drier and, therefore, less vulnerable to molds.

 

[REDRUM]

I had exactly the same thing with Shiraz this year. A bit of split but most of the grapes still tasted good (some were mushy and gross, tried to sort as many of the crappy bunches out as I could), and the wine has all smelled & tasted good so far, so I hope it turns out OK.
Good luck - how was the growing season in Nelson? More rain than usual over summer?

 

[hamos]

Pruning: We had trimmed off leaves that shaded the bunches, and ensure free air flow.

Auto-fungal: Yes, we'd done some and was watching for signs of mould. Thought the splitting was bird damage so didn't respray when it started.

Rain: Lots just before picking, but IIRC the splitting started before the rain.