Recent content by Jack7033

How vigorous is the site? If high you might want to split the canopy. I did with Merlot vines planted in 2015. First wire is 33 inches which is where I put all fruit. Wires above just hold vegetative growth. This year I put netting from under fruiting wire to prevent having to go over top.

Yes They offer that service for those in the Rochester area. Sorry I did not make it clear. Jack

This is an event here in Rochester, NewYork that is for commercial wineries and has an “ amateur category”. Jeff Stabins is president of the NYS AWS and is the chair of the Amateur Competition. From Jeff Stabins. You are cordially invited to enter the Great American...

At first glance it looks like Black Rot fungus.

As wine makers we all learn the hard way. I have learned that I need to wait at least 3 years, best is five, on reds. And at least one year on whites. I belong to the Rochester Area Home Winemakers Club and we all have learned the hard way. Bottle number 28 from a 6 gallon carboy is so much...

Has anyone used Thymeguard. Relatively new. I heard organic.

I would suggest getting Richard Smarts guide called “Sunlight in Wine”. If not the Bible on growing grape vines, I don’t know what is better for starting a vineyard ( spacing, trellis choices, etc) and then managing the canopy after the vines are mature. In the vineyards I have had the...

I think we are not on the same page. I am talking the “first” wire not top wire. My first wire is about 33” from the ground and second wire about 50”. My two “catch” wires are seven feet high to position new long growth of new shoots to prevent them from falling and shading the fruit. I cut...

1. Where are you located in the country? 2. Dormant pruning of 1 year old vines. It is very important to choose the one or two trunks or let grow this second year. If none of the shoots from last year made it to the first wire, leave one or two shoots but cut them back to two buds. If a...

Yes. Yes and yes. But if you see another potential trunk coming up from above the graft let it grow too. I like two trunks. Insurance is good. On a mature vine I like two trunks plus a renewal. Just my two cents. Jack T.

I have used my 6 gallon Oak for a number of uses, maybe eight or so. Now I can keep the wine in for a year or so and it just oaks it a little but really smooths out the wine. Initially I let it dry out between uses and used sulfur sticks to keep it from getting microbs between uses, which is a...

Maybe I am old but scrapping bottles is a pain I try to avoid. 1. Only accept them if clean in side and labels off. 2. Go to a bottle supplier and sometimes they have bottles that are not the correct color. Meaning the glass was made while switching from one color bottle to the next. They...

I would suggest bench trials to find the level of sugar you like. One added it is there and too late to change. Why add water? Why not just Domino’w cane sugar. Why dilute the wine to 1/7 th ?

I have Foch. Now about ten years old. What type of vigor do you get on your site. Do your vines grow a lot of vegetation? The trick in pruning is to “balance” the vine, ( fruit to vegetation growth). Each vineyard site is different. If you had a lot of growth last year, leave more buds on...