I’m very happy to have found this forum! I am not new to wine making but I am looking to step up my wine game by making a fresh grape Cabernet Sauvignon this fall. I have made many kit wines as well as a lot of wine from fresh fruit, just never a fresh grape wine fermented on the skins. I live near Scranton in Northeast PA and I’m not sure where I could go to source grapes. The person who I will be making this batch with lives in NJ and we were looking into possibly going through Corrado’s market as they have a crusher/destemmer on site. I want to produce a more full bodied wine than I’ve been able to with even the highest end kits and I believe this is probably the best route. Any advice as to where I could source grapes, and tips for my first fresh grape wine would be very appreciated. I can’t wait to learn from some of the many great wine makers here. Thanks!
Hello, from PA.
- Thread starter Bgille6
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Welcome to WMK! I’m in south central PA, relocated from Gouldsboro (worked at Kane is Able Trucking back in the day).
if you’re practiced in kit wine making, you’ll do fine. It’s tough finding a good source near you - there used to be a good source down near Allentown. But, I don’t think they’re in the wine grape business anymore.
If you haven’t tried them, take a look at the Finer Wine Kits offered through LabelPeelers. They are kits, but the juice isn’t ultra pasteurized and the wines are a lot closer in taste to wine-from-grapes.
I have one of their Super Tuscans going right now. I’ll be doing the final polishing rack tonight. I’m very impressed with the flavors and aroma that it has already.
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Welcome to WMT!
How far are the NY Finger Lakes from you? If it's closer to NJ, that may be an option.
Welcome!
I agree on the Finer Wine Kits as I'm making four of them now, including a Cabernet Sauvignon, and they're way better than any other kits I've made.
Another option would be frozen must delivered to you. Check these resources:
I agree on the Finer Wine Kits as I'm making four of them now, including a Cabernet Sauvignon, and they're way better than any other kits I've made.
Another option would be frozen must delivered to you. Check these resources:
- F. Colavita & Son (cawinegrapes.com)
- S & S WINEGRAPES & EQUIPMENT - Home (sandswinegrapes.com)
- Juice Grape - Home of Musto Wine Grape Co.
- 2020 Frozen Wine Grape Must Pre-Order Available Now (grapesforwine.com)
- Brehm Vineyards - Fine Wine From Fine Grapes
- Wine Grapes Direct
- Purchase Grapes 2021 | http://www.stillwatersvineyards.com
Corrado’s in New Jersey is about an hour away, but I may take a ride up to the finger lakes this summer to get some White juice to try out.
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Keystone Homebrew in Montgomeryville is taking orders for Chilean juice and grapes now for late April/early May delivery
Keystone Homebrew is an awesome wine/beer making store, but I was not happy with the grapes (moldy, shriveled) or the juice bucket (already fermenting) that I got there last spring. That could have been a covid supply chain problem. I’ll stick with Gino Pinto in Hammonton, NJ. For fall grapes, you can check out Proccaci Bros in Philly.. Wine Grapes and Juice – Procacci Brothers Sales Corp
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I have only seen them selling CA grapes in the fall.
If things work out for a trip, look at the wine trails and hit a few wineries. I get the Syracuse area once a year, and try to arrange to hit a few.
FlamingoEmporium
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That’s the one thing I miss living in Florida. We were close to the finger lakes and would do a spring and sometimes fall trip for tasting. back then (12 years ago) there were some great wineries and many new small wineries were just popping up back then. Occasionally we would come home with 5 cases. Our personal record was 11 wineries in one day. If you live fairly close, it’s a must do experience.
