Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[AlFulchino]

you owe me two trips now Wade.....

Rich...doesnt the Riparia play host to some fungi that may act as a source of innoculum?...I would go w the third choice you presented....you may appreciate the shade in the summer...but your climate, like mine, has that spring and fall that can be cool and some sun might be welcome......no matter what you choose you are gonna have fun...no one deserves success more than you!

 

[Wade E]

How about if I do a tasting and then drive around the block and come back! hehehe

 

[rrawhide]

ya'll need to drive out this'a way for a tasting toooooooo!


lookin' great Rich and kinda fun too, huh?


rick

 

[DBell]

Wow, Ive just finished reading this whole post in its entirety (multiple sittings of course). I feel like I already know a lot of you... sort of anyway.


The value in this forum is emense for someone like me. I even took notes on a couple of things to reference later. It is my goal to eventually start a small farm winery as well. And for me it is on an extremely tight budget. So to see appleman do it, gives me real hope!

 

[ibglowin]

Welcome to the FVW Forums Daniel!

 

[grapeman]

Welcome Daniel. I hope that you have picked up a few pointers, both good and things to avoid doing. That is why I decided to do this post the way I did- to chronicle the whole process from planting through making wines and so on. Even though I already knew a fair amount about farming and growing in general, the learning process continues. I have gotten to the point that others are seeking information I have gathered through real life experience and research work I have begun. I have even been invited to give a talk and presentation at this year's Finger Lakes Grape Program Conference near Geneva in March.


Good luck in your own adventures in grape growing.

 

[DBell]

Thanks guys.


Rich, thruyour background,research, medals, and hands on experience; I would say you've definitely established yourself well.


I come from a farming background and an Ag. degree. However, very new to grape growing. I planted my begining vineyard last year (Vidal, Traminette, Vignoles, Noiret, Marquette, NY 95.301.01 and Concord). I have begun to train to VSP with the cordon wire at 42". However, after reading your initial research I am very seriously considering switching to the 4-arm kniffin because of less labor, possible higher yeilds, and same or better grape quality. What do you think?


Also, I will begin a new post about my experiences as well. I guess I will call it Bell Vineyard.

 

[grapeman]

Dan from experience with most of those varieties you might try Traminette as TWC, Vignoles as VSP, Noiret and Marquette as either TWC or 4AK. NY95.301.01 probably either 4 AK or TWC although it is too new to know really which one will do better. Vidal I have no real experience with.




I am currently writing the report for year two of the trial. I will have videos available to show comparisons of the vines for those trial varieties.


Start your topic soon so you can get all these responses in it.

 

[DBell]

Great feed back. I will be glad to save the wire doing TWC or 4-arm kniffin instead of VSP on most varieties

. It seems almost all commercial vineyards in my region use TWC for there vines regardless of the variety.
I mightdoa half and half of TWCand 4AK on theNoiret, Marquette, and NY95. Then convert totally later based on success and which ever I like working the most.


I very much look foward to your report findings and the videos. I have begun my topic. Feels strange putting my story so out there, maybe I'm just an intravert.

 

[DBell]

Just curious about doin TWC in relation to semi-upright growth habits on vines. How does this work out? or is it a nonfactor?

 

[grapeman]

Dan we have all 25 varieties of vines at Willsboro on TWC. Noiret, Vignoles and a few other semi-upright vines are a real PITA using that tyraining system. If not for uniformity in that trial, we would not grow them that way.


I have been trying to get an extensive training system trial funded so we can determine the best training system to use with many varieties. About the time I got interest from several key parties, grant funding and state funding has been slashed. I am a firm believer that as part of the process of developing new varieties for release, traing trials should be done to find the most appropriate system for these newly released varieties.


See the next reply for an example of what I am talking about.

 

[grapeman]

I have been working on my final report for this year's NE SARE grant I conducted at the vineyard this year. I have a couple charts to show the dramatic effects using the right training system may have on yield and net profit.
Leon Millot


I will be finishing up the report in the next few days and it will be posted at SARE.org eventually. It is an online submission this year and we can send in video files. I doumented the grapes this year with video and I will try to post those there. If it doesn't work I will link to somewhere else so I will have videos eventiually as well as links at my website.

 

[grapeman]

As a trial to see if this works I am including a link to a single video. I am not a professional videographer like ibglowin, so bear with me.


Leon Millot <a href="%3cA href=" target="_blank">
</A>This is a large file so be patient and dont even try with dialup.


Leon Millot

 

[AlFulchino]

i cant believ no one commented on the video Rich. Great job!

also i wanted to remind you to get your summary report in...its due the 15th of this month...last year being new i didnt realize it was due...also dont forget your gallonage report to the feds...being like me its just once a year

i spend the day on my two reports and think i have them done...gonna sit on them for two days to see if i got it right and then send in

 

[Runningwolf]

Rich, just got a chance to watch the video. I thought it was excellent. If I hadn't seen your shadow I would have sworn you were on some kind of a tripod. Nice steady movement and your voice was nice and clear.Vines looked awesome also.

 

[ibglowin]

Excellent voiceover!

 

[AlFulchino]

check out this voice on this guy

http://www.rtdna.org/pages/posts/oh...second-chance-with-golden-radio-voice1193.php

 

[grapeman]

Excellent voiceover!

Now you are just making fun of me! I recorded that while walking and my hay fever was acting up. You can hear me huffing and puffing and totally unscripted.




Al that guy was even on the evening news tonight.

 

[Wade E]

Ill check it out tomorrow buddy.

 

[DBell]

I thought the vid was very good. Cool to see how the canopy opened up on the shoot thinned section.