Recent content by gregmg

I have a small vineyard in southern Arizona that is spaced at 9' between rows, and I know what kind of equipment to use with that spacing. But I'm starting a new vineyard that is spaced a little tighter; only 2 meters (6' 7") between rows. I'd rather not get into the expensive, specialty...

If you live in Arizona and make wine, you really should join AZ WineMakers. We're the largest such club in Arizona, and we have both commercial and home wine makers among our ranks. We're meeting next in Mesa, Arizona on September 20th. If you'd like to join, please send us a message through...

For more information you can send me a PM through this site, an email to greg (at)goldminemtn(dot) com, or contact me through our website at www.azwinemakers.com.

AZ Wine Makers has managed to pull together an initial order for quality grapes and must from Brehm Vineyards. Anyone in Arizona wanting to get in on this order is welcome to do so. I'm the point of contact for this group order. All grapes in storage or coming out of the vineyards in...

AZ Wine Makers will be meeting in Mesa, Arizona this Saturday (August 27) at 2:30PM. All members are encouraged to attend. If you're in Arizona and you're not a member, why not join? If you are a member but didn't get the meeting notice, send me a message for the details.

The meeting has been rescheduled for Sunday, May 8th in Tucson. Please join us if you're in the area. Email me at greg (at) goldminemtn (dot) com for directions and other details. Greg G.

Due to unforeseen circumstances the meeting Sunday has been canceled. A new date will be set next week. Greg G.

Arizona Wine Makers will be meeting on March 20th in Tucson. Carpooling options from Phoenix/Mesa may be available. Please email me at greg(at) goldminemtn (dot) com for further details. Greg G.

For me it depends on the occasion. For pizza at home I really like Tobin James Chateau Le Cacheflo. If I'm invited to dinner by friends who appreciate wine, I'll often take a bottle of Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir. Of course, Pinot pairs well with most foods, and this one is always...

I've had a number of gassy batches of mead, and I've always thought that it was due to a slower fermentation. That is, even with nutrient additions, meads can take longer to finish than wines, so when you're ready to bottle there's more CO2 still trapped in it. Wines tend to finish in a week to...

AZ Wine Makers will be meeting in Mesa, Arizona this Saturday (May 15th) at 3:30PM. Please join us if you are in the area. Email me at greg(at)azwinemakers(dot)com for further details. Greg G.

I've been harvesting blackberries for the last week. I'm in Arizona and things happen a bit earlier here. :-) This is my first blackberry harvest. Not much in quantity, but I'm hoping to do a small batch of blackberry port. We'll see. Greg G.

Larry, I grew up near Hurdland, but live now in Arizona. I know a few people in that part of the country growing wine grapes (hybrids, mostly). You're almost too far north to reliably produce some varieties, but there are still lots of choices. Do you think you'd ever want to have your own vines?

Room temp in Arizona is typically 78 degrees, at least that's what I keep my thermostat set to. This is perfect for fermenting reds. I have even tried moving the primary to a room with the A/C shut off in an attempt to push the temperature up a bit higher. For whites, I either place the primary...

I understand that it's even worse than that. The characteristics we look for in specific varietals are due the the expression of certain specific genes. A seed from a Pinot Noir that's pollinated by a Pinot Noir may start a vine that produces grapes that taste nothing like Pinot Noir.