Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[swillologist]

Thanks appleman. Happy New Year!

 

[grapeman]

Here is a slideshow put together quickly in Photbucket. Nothing Fancy just random shots from the vineyard this past summer.


http://s268.photobucket.com/albums/jj31/appleman0006/?action=view&current=ec6b783f.pbw

 

[NorthernWinos]

Appleman...that was a great presentation...


You've come a long way baby....Very well done indeed...


Let me give you the clap...

 

[BonnieJoy]

Nice slideshow

 

[grapeman]

I am getting the itch to get out and start some pruning but I guess I have about a month before I can. As you can see from these pictures I have some work ahead of me to get them where I want them. The short little sticks on the right in the first pictures are black currants. I'm hoping to get some this year for some wine-time will tell.


I also would like to get some cuttings going in the mini-greenhouse. I guess it might be a while longer to find it. Oh well........


Not much to see with these, just killing a little time.

Is it pruning time yet?

Time to take a few cuttings.........

Where did I leave that shovel?..................Edited by: appleman

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Hey Rich,
I felt the urge to get out in the vineyard and get some photos too. Take a look at my thread...
You're right, you have some serious pruning ahead, plus some waiting time to let all that snow disappear.

 

[NorthernWinos]

You guys sure have a lot of snow...Ours seems to be all blowing through the air today...It's white out there...but the sun is out.

 

[grapeman]

I would really like to start pruning, but it is still a bit cold. Here it is the last day of the month in a leap year- February 29 th and we had one of the coldest nights this year at minus 8 degrees at our place- much colder in the outlying areas. Saranac Lake was at minus 28 degrees this AM. It's not NW's bone chilling temps, but still cold enough for me! Come on spring!

 

[grapeman]

I gave up today. Not a lot to do and with the sun out it felt really nice in the orchard and vineyard. I pruned a dozen apple trees, but was going blind looking up into the sun with the reflection from the snow. I decided to rough prune one of the rows of Leon Millot since they are trained VSP and the vines don't need training much which might break the bark on them in the cold weather. I got the row done and they look pretty good. I didn't weigh the vines, but it looks like about 2 pounds of brush per vine.
Here are some pictures.

Unpruned Vine

A Buffalo Vine-appropriate name- kind of hairy isn't it!
I will train long canes to the top wire when it warms up.

Several Buffalo

 

[rodman]

Appleman, you either have a lot of snow or your cordon wire seems to be lower than I expected. I am curious because I just set grapes out last spring and have my cordon wire at 36". If you have that much snow cover I am glad I don't live where you do, and how did you stay on top of the snow to prune.

 

[grapeman]

LOL rodman. The wire is at about 36" also for me. We have about 2 feet of hard packed frozen snow. It just won't leave! When we got the 4" of sleet and it froze solid, it makes it so you can walk anywhere without sinking. I had to do a lot of bending to clip them. I cut them long for now since we are still having cold weather and will finish prune them when it warms up more.

 

[grapeman]

Just moving the pictures ahead so folks can see them.

I gave up today. Not a lot to do and with the sun out it felt really nice in the orchard and vineyard. I pruned a dozen apple trees, but was going blind looking up into the sun with the reflection from the snow. I decided to rough prune one of the rows of Leon Millot since they are trained VSP and the vines don't need training much which might break the bark on them in the cold weather. I got the row done and they look pretty good. I didn't weigh the vines, but it looks like about 2 pounds of brush per vine.
Here are some pictures.

Unpruned Vine

A Buffalo Vine-appropriate name- kind of hairy isn't it!
I will train long canes to the top wire when it warms up.

Several Buffalo

 

[rodman]

Oh boy, that some snow! That was the other reason I asked, I could not figure out if the snow was that deep how you didn't leave any tracks.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I saw the dogs break through the crust on top of the snow today....So I won't be going out there for awhile...plus the wind is blowing relentlessly.

My vines not only need trimming but placement as well...so will have to wait for a more pliable day....this is a tough time of the year...You want to do something, but the weather and conditions don't allow...

Appleman....Have fun playing in your vineyard...

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

My snow depth looks exactly the same! but I can't walk on top. We didn't get the same amount of sleet. I think I'll wait several more weeks, although the waiting IS hard. Temperatures are remaining stubbornly cold.

Rich, are you pruning to two buds in general?

 

[grapeman]

Right now I pruned long to several nodes. I will clip them to probably 2 buds per spur where they exist and let shoots develop where they didn't last year. I figure I can get some crop that way and still develop better cordons in the end. It was just a start while I wait for better weather and less snow.


By the way bill, I broke the forum I showed you to upgrade to a newer version. It just didn't want to convert, so I deleted the database and will need to start again. Not a big deal, not much of anything in it yet.

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

OK, thanks

 

[grapeman]

We lost a lot of snow today after picking up a bit yesterday. The temperature hit 65 this afternoon and is stil 60 at almost 7:00. Tomorrow in the mid 30's. The bare patches are growing more all the time. Winds have picked up to a steady 30 mph with gusts expected to 60 mph. That will help drop it some more. Then after tomorrow in the 30's it will be in the mid 40's for the rest of the week and weekend. I'm hoping in the next week I will be able to prune in earnest. I have 50 Marquette vines shipping April 14. I hope the snow melts by then so I don't need to hold them too long. Now all I need to do is figure where to put them..........

 

[BonnieJoy]

Appleman - Have you tasted your Marquette & Corot Noir wines lately? Just wondering how they're progressing.
Our Indiana winter has been crazy this year, too. One day it could be 10 degrees, the next 50 ish. I got my few little babies pruned during a warm spell last month.I was relieved to find that they werebedded well enough to appear anaffected by the drastic weather changes.


Have some Marquette cuttings started from the trimmings. My Double A order arrives a few days after yours. Getting really excited about planting them at my new homestead at Blossom Ridge.


Thanks for posting your vineyard on this forum. It's been fun watching you develop it.

 

[grapeman]

Thanks Bonnie. I did try a very small sample of them before I set out for cold stabilization a month or so ago. I must say they both are very promising. The color of both is great. The Corot Noir has plenty of tannins to make it have good age potential and has no foxiness at all with hints of cherry and a nice vanilla base. The Marquette has plenty of vanilla at this stage and some fruitiness also. I don't detect any of it's American heritage in it at this point and think it will be vey good also. I am resisting bottling yet to age a bit in the carboys, but have gotten set up to filter and bottle with a pump.