Chateau Michaelena Vineyard

[grapeman]

Wash your hands with k-meta, it helps, but the color doewsn't come out all the way. It is your official badge of honor! Looks good Mike!

 

[ibglowin]

Thanks guys. Excellent color on these grapes! This was a nice little warm up for my 900lbs of grapes on order from CA in a few weeks. I am working with a club out of Denver this year. No 1500 mile round trip to pick up grapes! One of the club members lives in ABQ and will bring down not only his grapes but mine as well. I have to drive 20 miles to pick them up!

I hope they are good quality. They use this grower/vineyard (Lodi region) each year and they keep coming back so hopefully some decent fruit. Price is right to boot. No markup. Getting 6 lugs Cab Sauv, 6 lugs Syrah, 6 lugs OVZ, 6 lugs Petite Syrah, 3 lugs Riesling.

 

[Deezil]

You're a few years ahead of me, looks great!
Cant wait to see how you manage the 900lbs though

Living in washington, you'd think grapes would be easy for me to find but my search goes on (havent made it to the east-side yet )

 

[ibglowin]

No shortage on the other side of the mountains if your willing to drive a ways.

 

[Deezil]

You made me check craigslist...

$1/lb Riesling here i come, and im gonna blame you the whole damn way!

 

[ibglowin]

Ruh Roh Raggy!

You have access to crusher/de-stemmer and press!

 

[Deezil]

I wish... Might have to come up with something other than my 2 hands (bucket-in-a-bucket or something maybe)

 

[ibglowin]

Trust me you do not want to do this without proper equipment!

Find it, borrow it, or rent it unless your doing like one gallon!

 

[grapeman]

You don't need equipment when you are young and manley like Manly. Just get a big tub, dump the grapes in it, put on some shorts, roll up the socks and crush away. Then you pick all the stems out by hand and ferment away on the reds. Whites will be trickier such as the Riesling!

Have fun, but like Mike says, find a bit of equipment to make it easier and more enjoyable.

 

[Wade E]

Mike, I used a big scooper and a press bag with my press and it made life a lot easier and cleaner That looks like its going to be a nice batch there! Keep us up on how this goes please.

 

[ibglowin]

MLF is going like crazy as of last night. Much more active at 68F than 63F like last year. Lees are compacting nicely. Will rack off tonight.

 

[robie]

MLF is going like crazy as of last night. Much more active at 68F than 63F like last year. Lees are compacting nicely. Will rack off tonight.

I had a similar temperature issue last year. I held the temperature of the MLF right where the MLB instructions dictated but not much activity. Finally, I raised the temperature up by about 4 degrees F and MLF really took off.

 

[ibglowin]

Which MLB did you use?

 

[rrawhide]

Mike - beautiful daughter - beautiful wedding. Looks like lots of fun for all. Ya did good, papa!!!

rrawhide

 

[ibglowin]

Thanks Rich! One down, two more to go..........

 

[ibglowin]

Here are some pics from my 2012 crush with California fruit sourced from Lodi. I went in with a club out of Denver this year. I only had to drive 30 miles to Santa fe to pick up my fruit. Much better than driving to Dallas like last year! Cost was a fantastic $1.15lb with shipping to Denver. The club buys direct from the Vineyard so no middle man. I did 6 lugs of Cabernet Sauvignon, 6 lugs Syrah, 6 lugs Old Vine Zin, 6 lugs Petit Sirah. Almost 900lbs total.

The grapes arrived in two loads so things were split up so lots of set up and clean ups over the last few weeks. We even had a wedding to go to in Seattle last weekend but luckily our youngest daughter was able to house sit, dog sit and grape sit! She was able to do the punch downs for me while we were gone. Lots of work!

I am going to take half of the Petit Sirah and make a port out of it. That stuff was 26 Brix and just inky black! Should not have to fortify too much to get it to 19% ABV. Everything is pressed and settling in the winery now. Will introduce MLB probably this weekend.

 

[Bartman]

Mike,
If you're not going to spend the big bucks on a motorized crusher/destemmer, you should at least rig an 'exercise wheel' for your dog to run on so you can really get that crank going! The poor thing looks bored since he wasn't part of the excitement this year.

 

[robie]

Mike,
If you're not going to spend the big bucks on a motorized crusher/destemmer, you should at least rig an 'exercise wheel' for your dog to run on so you can really get that crank going! The poor thing looks bored since he wasn't part of the excitement this year.

Oh, I think he has the right idea - he fiddles with the clusters while the daughter turns the crank!

Your puppy is like mine, there for moral support only (and to keep the birds, rabbits and squirrels from stealing any grapes)!

Looks great, Mike. If you do this every year, you are bound to get really, really good at it!

How's the Jack Tone holding out?

 

[grapeman]

Mike I didn't see you cranking that thing at all! Quit slouching boy! Or else rig up a motor on that bad boy.

 

[ibglowin]

The women decided that handling the grapes would stain their nails.... LOL

Felt bad about them cranking but they didn't want to touch those sticky things!

Definitely looking at hooking up a motor for next year. I found your pics from WP. That motor is now $200! I am wondering if a 3/4 HP Swamp Cooler motor would work. Only $95!

Mike I didn't see you cranking that thing at all! Quit slouching boy! Or else rig up a motor on that bad boy.