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This years budget has been challenging. I had to buy a new car, new computer, new washer and dryer, and a new stove. Spare cash for grapes wasn't in the budget this year. As grape harvest season approached, I began to lament over missing out on the season. For the past years I've experimented...

Hi fellow winemakers. I've come across a neat vineyard photo gallery that I thought you would enjoy. I hope you enjoy the views as much as I did. http://www.flickr.com/groups/484521@N21/pool/

Hi folks, It's been too long since I visited the forum here. Well, it's February and time to get out in the vineyard here in North Carolina. We're glad to see cooler temperatures here in Western North Carolina after last years no winter mess. Frost in the spring did a job on the grapes in my...

Greetings friends, I’d like to share a new apple wine concoction that I’ve come up with. I’ve decided to call it Rocky Top Red. Here is the gist of it. Early last week I was pressing my North Carolina Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. After pressing I saved the skins/yeast sludge. I ran down to our...

I love the smell of must in the morning. This is a photo of one of two fermenters that I started yesterday. Each contains about 10 gallons of crushed and destemmed cabernet sauvignon. The grapes were picked Monday. Yesterday I added yeast about 11AM. By midnight last night, the fermentation...

This is a photo of a local NC Vineyard. In the past this vineyard has grown grapes for wineries. Ownership changed hands earlier this year. The new owner hopes to build a winery with tasting room. It has a good location, just several miles off hwy 40 and as you can see, it's a real attractive...

Here in Western North Carolina we've had a real warm winter. Most spring fruits ere nearly a month ahead of schedule. Despite all that warm weather, we still had two frosty morning that struck fear in the hearts of fruit growers. I've heard reports that the Western NC apple crop may have been...

I've ordered several Chilean frozen juice buckets (6 gal each). These are reds, Malbec and Carmenere. I appreciate advise from those of you that have made wine from frozen juice. I understand that the wine is already yeasted. I also expect that both brix and pH have been adjusted. I will still...

I expect to place my order for 6 gallons of frozen juice later today. I'm looking to purchase several lugs of grapes of the same variety to add to my fermenter. I understand the frozen grapes have already been yeasted. I plan to destem the grapes and give the a gently crush. I'll add kmeta to...

This past weekend, while helping a vineyard owner prune his vines, I met a fellow who is currently developing his own vineyard with hopes of opening a tasting room ect. The fellow, Mario, was getting cuttings of Cap Franc from my friend Jim, which he was going to graft onto grape vines that have...

Here in the Eastern Southland, it is now time to prune. A friend of mine has been real busy pruning his vineyard. I offered to assist him today... see posted photo. This vineyard is located in Western North Carolina (South Creek Vineyard and Winery). Jim, the owner, visited California during...

I took a peak at my 2011 cranberry wine today. I've posted a photo of it. The wine is starting clear nicely, the aroma is very nice, and the flavor is good. It still needs more aging though, and will likely see another 6 months of aging before I consider bottling.

After reading a few threads here on winemaker this morning, I decided to give my 2011 cab sauv a taste. Back in September I started with 12 gallons of must and now have 8 gallons of wine in glass carboys. I added my small tasting portion to a wine glass so I could evaluate aroma, color and...

Earlier this week I received an email from friends of mine that own a small local vineyard/winery. The objective was to bottle their first rose' as well as bottle a blend they had been working on. We gathered at the winery Saturday morning (2-11-2012). This was the wineries first rose'. It was...

I've been going back through some of my 2011 photos. I thought I'd share this one with you. This vineyard is in Western North Carolina. I hope you enjoy the view.

Dear friends, We all share in the joy of winemaking. In this time of calibration my wife Patricia and I would like to wish you all a merry Christmas. I hope you all enjoy time with loved ones. Cheers my friends, remember joys and fond memories of the past, cheers to this past year, and...

Well, I finally have a stuck batch. I started my cranberry wine Saturday, five days ago. I had 3.5 gallons of cranberry juice and berries. My SG was 1.095 and the pH was rather low, 2.75. I added lelavin 1118 yeast using a yeast hydration procedure. Yeast nutrient and energizer were added...

:bI imagine all of you have friends and coworkers ask about tasting your wines. A formal wine tasting isn't always practical. I have some tiny wine bottles with screw caps that I fill up to share a taste with friends. Many of these are fruit wines that I keep chilled. I encourage prompt...

I just received my Dec. - Jan. issue of Winemaker Magazine. Boy was I floored when I saw one of my photos on page 10. That was unexpected. And yes, they are sending me a free gift!!! What could it be? Here is a view of the magazine (hope I'm not breaking any rules here) and a copy of the...

With Christmas not too far off, I'm getting the urge to make a cranberry wine. There is a family recipe for a killer cranberry sauce that includes lemon zest, orange juice, and triplesec. I've spent a few minutes searching the net for cranberry wine recipies. Here is what I've found...