Since the birds were insistent on stealing the Dornfelder, I bought a refractrometer and checked the brix levels. Prior to testing, I tasted the grapes. Although the Dornfelder was developing sweetness, the acid was more prevalent. Seeds were still green but beginning to turn brown. The Dornfelder measured a 16.5 brix. The birds probably have it right. Those pests usually harvest grapes before people.
The Niagara seemed to taste sweeter than the Dornfelder. They definitely had the noticeable Niagara aroma. They too were noticeably acidic. The Niagara measured at 12 brix. Perhaps the perceived sweetness was a result of the aroma. Interestingly, the birds haven’t been bothering the Niagara grapes yet.
Sugar levels might be watered down since we had two days worth of thunderstorms which dumped a couple of inches of rain on the vines. I’ll test daily to see the grapes progress. There is so little Dornfelder, that we will only use them for table grapes this year. If the birds go after the Niagara, we won’t have enough for wine, so it will be jelly for this year. On the other hand, if the birds leave them alone, I might be able to get a gallon or two of juice to ferment.
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