equipement needed

[tatd69]

I have been making kit wine for years. I am plannig a vineyard to grow my own grapes it will be 10 acres with in 5 years. I wil plant 2 acres yearly in my plan.
I have found a local vineyard and have agreed to purchace 100lbs of grapes for white wine and 100lbs for red wine.
My question is should i buy a crusher/destimmer and a wine press?
I am sure that the equipement i buy first i will out grow quickly.
I am asking for your recommendations on equipement and size.
Has any one used the wineasy vacumm fermintor and press . I am concidering this as an option.
Thanks

 

[olusteebus]

I may be a little off here but with 10 acres of grapes, you may want to see if J Gallo is for sale!

 

[tatd69]

Thanks I will take a look. Do you have any suggestions on size of equipment.

 

[olusteebus]

Not really. I was just trying to be funny. I have 4 muscadine vines growing in a shady area so I don't expect much production.

seems like a press would be first in order, then a deestimmer / crusher.

 

[GaDawg]

I believe that if you have over 2 acres of grapes you do not have a hobby, you have a full time job

 

[GreginND]

Are you starting a commercial bonded winery? Or are you planning on selling most of your gapes? Depending on how you plant you can figure 2-4 tons per acre. I'm not sure what you are going to do with 80,000 pounds of grapes?you will be way over the limit for amount of wine you can make as an unlicensed home winemaker.

You re going to need a good size bladder press and a big crusher destemmer.

 

[JohnT]

I agree with Greg,

I think that you need to take stock and have a firm plan for the amount of wine you expect to make.

Currently, you are looking at making wine from 200 pounds of grapes. This will yield somewhere around 5 1/2 cases of wine. Naturally, the equipment that you want to create 5 cases of wine is a far cry from the equipment that you need to handle over 2,000 cases.

So here is the question.. Are you serious about 10 acres? If you are, then I would not be playing around with 5 cases and go straight to gearing up to the 2000 cases. Like greg said, in the winery you will need an industrial bladder press, glycol jacketed SS tanks, pumps, hoses, etc. Outside the winery you should also expect to spend a decent amount of money on farm equipment (tracter, disker, wagons, etc)

 

[olusteebus]

It does sound interesting. It seems to me that you are considering making it into a commercial operation. At least providing grapes or grape juice.

Ifi someone produced grape juice near me that could either balance the ph acid or tell me what I need to do to do so, I would be interested.

That is of course If I could save considerably over a commercial kit.

To provide juice, surely you don't need a license other than business license.

 

[GaDawg]

What trellis system do you plan to use? I have been told the type of system can substantially affect your labor, yield and quality, and with 10 acres the yield difference can be + or - 2000 lbs of grapes.

 

[Tess]

because grape fields are not readily available or as easily maintained in the south east Indiana area most (not all) of our local wineries ship in juice. I cant tell the difference from one to the other. My favorite local wine is from shipped in juice

 

[jswordy]

Hey, what's the big deal, man? You just plant your grapes, all your work is upfront, than after they get going, you just sit back and rake in the cash on your 10-acre spread.

Am I right or am I right? Look how well Robert Mondavi did, and he was drunk half the time.

 

[Tess]

Not that im saying it doesnt matter. I believe it does. Especially for longer aged grape wines maybe. A lot of the wineries around here serve fruitier wines that are perfect for a long Summer drive winery hopping here on the Southeast Indiana wine trail. lol. One day I will get to Nappa valley or Tuscany but for now, it is what it is!! Just though I clarify before someone pounces lol

 

[JohnT]

Hey, what's the big deal, man? You just plant your grapes, all your work is upfront, than after they get going, you just sit back and rake in the cash on your 10-acre spread.

Am I right or am I right? Look how well Robert Mondavi did, and he was drunk half the time.

JS,

It is a little more than that. Vines are a high maintenance crop.

 

[jswordy]

JS,

It is a little more than that. Vines are a high maintenance crop.

:< You're KIDDING!

 

[saramc]

Not that im saying it doesnt matter. I believe it does. Especially for longer aged grape wines maybe. A lot of the wineries around here serve fruitier wines that are perfect for a long Summer drive winery hopping here on the Southeast Indiana wine trail. lol. One day I will get to Nappa valley or Tuscany but for now, it is what it is!! Just though I clarify before someone pounces lol

But Indiana (and my state of KY) produce sweeter wines due to market demand. The majority of wine drinkers in our two states are semisweet/sweet wine drinkers. Every winery I visit outsells sweet every day of the week.
Plus not all grapes they grow in CA, which is primarily a dry wine style market, will grow in our terroir.
And most states have limits defined for commercial winemakers as to when/why/how much juice or fruit you can have brought in from out-of-state, have to get it approved in some cases.

 

[Tess]

Every winery Iv gone to in Indiana and KY go from the very dry to very sweet. I prefer dry. really?? Of course grapes grow in more places than Napa Valley and Cal. Lord, It was just a reference was I supposed to name them all from the finger lakes of NY to wine regions of France? lol No need to try to make me sound like an idiot? I should have known better. They must be able to import a fair amount because they do a good business . was just off work and trying to have a conversation! Chill!!

 

[Tess]

I apologize. you sounded a little condescending to me but it might be me not you (Blush) Hard day at work. Im in customer service. lol. Its also sometimes hard to read someones tone when its typed out. Dont pay me any mind (Blush)

 

[saramc]

I apologize. you sounded a little condescending to me but it might be me not you (Blush) Hard day at work. Im in customer service. lol. Its also sometimes hard to read someones tone when its typed out. Dont pay me any mind (Blush)

Not my intention to be condescending at all. You would be shocked how many people do not realize that grape cultivars typically are regionally impacted. Not saying this was you, but geared toward sharing info. I cannot begin to tell you how many winemakers and wine drinkers who had no idea. I can drive 30 miles between two wineries/vineyards here in KY, or pop over to IN, and the terroir is quite different and they cannot grow the same cultivars due to this.
And FWIW, many experienced wine drinkers enjoy dry wines, but our states gravitate toward sweeter drinkers, just what they like. And of course the winery will offer range of wine, dry to sweet, but typically their dry wine production is lower than sweeter ones. Nothing wrong with it, it is just our market; but if I were planting acres of grapes with the intention to produce commercial wine I would plan for what would do well in my area, for my land layout specifically, and what the people like.

 

[FABulousWines]

Sara, it is very similar here in NC. I visited a winery this weekend that specialized in dry Bordeaux style reds. They are pretty much the exception and not the rule. Although, there is a trend to growing more big reds, the feedback I am getting at tastings is that the sweets are outselling the drys.

 

[tatd69]

I am serious about growing 10 acres. I have 50 all together. I am looking to plant the 10 in a few phases.
With that said I am going to buy grapes from local vineyards I have talk to to develop the wine. So I don't want to over spend on equipment I will out grow.
I am in the process of going through TTB to get my commercial license.