Vineyard in the Granite State

[GreginND]

Looks great. I'm struggling with my posts. 3pt auger broke, holes full of water and wet clay that needs to be dug out by hand and it tooky all morning to get 4 of the 200 posts in. I need some real equipment and help.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

 

[HillPeople]

20 posts in really rocky ground was bad enough, but having 200 to get planted in wet clay? Uffda!
I'm sure you'll get them done somehow Greg.
We probably share some of that Upper Midwest "Get 'er done" ethic. I grew up in West Central Wisconsin.
Aren't you putting in a lot of new vines and trellis too Rich?
Here's our 2nd year Foch:

 

[grapeman]

I was just trying to get the posts in and the trellis up this spring for vines that had been planted 2 years ago. It was just too wet to get it done before. We got the last of about 650 post in this spring and the vines are growing like gangbusters now. Good luck getting them finished up guys.

 

[HillPeople]

Special Report

Last mid-August we inoculated the soil with beneficial nematodes to control Rose Chafers and Japanese Beetles. I can report now that these little guys did their job and must have eaten up a whole slew of larvae. The populations of both this year are way down- drastically. I have to put in a recommendation for using them.
Mulched the second year Marechal Foch today.

 

[HillPeople]

Mid August 2014

Grapes are coming along nicely. Fair share of black rot and Japanese Beetles. Lots of rainy, cloudy weather here in the Northeast. Installed a top wire on the trellis for running netting today. Attached are pictures of LaCrescents and Prairie Stars. On a side note, which I think is rather interesting and might be a help for organic growers out there, the last application of Potassium Bicarbonate(Armicarb 100) wiped out 90% of the Japanese Beetles. I don't believe Armicarb is listed for Jap Beetle control, but it seems to work very well.
We also have evidence of phylloxera lesions, which is the last picture. We removed all the infected leaves and put them on the burn pile, but phylloxera attacks the root system and is extremely difficult to eradicate from what I've read. Crossing my fingers that we don't lose any vines to it.

 

[grapeman]

Foliar phylloxera really is mainly a cosmetic issue. In extreme numbers it can affect the total carbohydrates produced, but seldom gets that bad. American varieties are resistant to the root form of phylloxera so there is no need to worry about destroying the leaves affected to try to reduce the root ones. This is why the French adopted the American rootstocks to save their vineyard and wine industry - a natural resistance to phylloxera (which was an invasive non-native (to France) pest imported into their copuntry with vines).

 

[HillPeople]

Phylloxera

Thanks for that info Rich.
I was just reading up on the history of that louse. Incredible damage when it got to Europe.
http://blog.lot18.com/2011/06/phylloxera-the-bug-that-almost-wiped-out-wine/

 

[HillPeople]

Early fall

Veraison in the Marquettes. Ran smart net in the 3 year old vineyard.

 

[HillPeople]

LaCrescents and Prairie Stars

Ready for crushing and pressing.

 

[HillPeople]

Blue Lagoon

Bottled some Blue Lagoon today, a blend of Maine Blueberries, Wayside Farm Honeyberries and Young Maple Ridge Sugarhouse Maple syrup. 13.1% dry wine that managed to retain all the ingredient tastes. I'll definitely double or triple the quantity this year

 

[HillPeople]

10 Days after Bud Break

Healthy little wine eggs forming on our LaCrescents. The vines are loving this hot, dry spring.

 

[HillPeople]

Update on our little vineyard

Haven't posted in about a year, so I thought I'd throw out an update.
We have 300 vines now; 50 Marechal Foch, 100 Marquette, 50 Prairie Star, 75 LaCrescent and 25 Louise Swenson. 100 of them are 2 yr. vines that we didn't let produce this year. Of the 200 3 and 4 yr. vines we got around 600 lbs of grapes. Not jaw dropping, but not too bad either considering that they are young and we are the most northern vineyard in NH at an elevation of around 1300'.
I've been busy this year with the harvest, winemaking and finally building a real winery. As I'm sure a lot of you realize, winemaking can gradually take over your house. In addition to our own grapes, we make Dandelion, Blueberry/Honeyberry/Maple Syrup, Aronia, Elderberry, Pear, Chilean Chardonnay and Apple. All dry. Attached a few pictures from this year.
Best wishes to you all.

 

[ibglowin]

Looking good! How do you like your Flextank? Is that a 30G? I just got a 15G and really like it (so far). May get another 15G to keep it company!

 

[mgmarty]

Nice pictures! Planted some Prairie Star this year too, yours look good!

 

[HillPeople]

Looking good! How do you like your Flextank? Is that a 30G? I just got a 15G and really like it (so far). May get another 15G to keep it company!

I like the 30 gal. Flextanks a lot. We have 6 now. I made a 2-hole screw in stopper to use with the All-In-One pump, so filling, racking and bottling goes pretty smoothly. Even with 30 gallons in them they can be rolled around on the bottom edge. We got floating skins for them, but stopped using them in favor of keeping everything under CO2.