I am surprised that my Dornfelder grapes are starting veraison. It seems that it is too early in July. On the other hand, we have had dry weather with numerous days in the 90’s and even three straight days in the 100’s. Last year there were no days in the 100’s and few days [...]
|
I find myself sitting on the deck marveling at the Dornfelder grapes and the pictures that nature paints. Every day is different. Today I noticed and tried to capture the sunshine casting shadows through the leaves. The bright blue background gave a nice contrast to the light green. Vineyards are beautiful to gaze upon, [...] I just happened to notice the Niagara grapes in my backyard. They have increased in size and are definitely much larger than the few vines of Dornfeilder I have planted. What was even more encouraging was the lack of black or brown circles on the grapes. During the last two years we lost our [...] A little over a week after planting a row of Petit Manseng, it was time to visit the vineyard. Our task yesterday was to move the soil to three inches below the graft. When we first planted the vines, the soil was mounded up over the graft. Mounding the soil over the graft protected [...] Yesterday Kathy and I assembled blue growtubes to place over the vines we plated in the vineyard last weekend. A translucent blue flexible piece of plastic is rolled and placed into a blue soft plastic sleeve. This grapevine shelter created by Blue-X is supposed to provide several benefits for newly planted grapevines. The obvious [...] There is a saying that I hear all the time, “Wine is made in the vineyard.” I know of the hard work winemakers put in at a winery. Having experienced some of the fun as well as more mundane tasks at wineries has given me an appreciation for the efforts that winemakers put forth. [...] Although Tin Lizzie Wineworks in Clarksville, Maryland is a custom crush facility where anyone can craft a barrel of wine, the winery is venturing into a new area today. Behind the present winery facility, farmland was plowed. Today we start planting grape vines. Kathy and I will be there to help. Not that we [...] |
   |
|
Copyright © 2012 Winemaking: Wine Trail Traveler - All Rights Reserved |
||
Do You Fertilize Vinefera Grapes?
Just as winemakers shake their heads when the affect of government on wine is discusses, so to do vineyard growers. I had the opportunity to talk to Ron Barrett, winegrower and winemaker at Kinkead Ridge Estate Winery in Ripley, Ohio. Ron mentioned that the state isn’t helpful when they make suggestions that winegrowers need [...]