Juice from wineries

[jtmayo]

I live on Long Island and there are a few local wineries that offer juice for retail. Does anyone have any experience with this? What are the quantities? Prices? Features, advantages or benefits?

Thanks!

 

[Tom]

Dont ask for ONE gallon. Look at 18+ gallons.
Price depends on how he thins the land and by each winery. ASK you have nothing to lose. Get friendly with them in off-season so he remembers you. You will have to be there when he crushes. This is probly what you will get not pure juice. rather crushed grapes. Then again you never know.
Good Luck !

 

[jtmayo]

Grapes, not juice

I saw a mention that a winery offered juice and sent an email. Turns out they offer grapes in lots as small as 50 pounds. The owner responded and was very informative and forthcoming. It's not as economical as buying 23 liter juice packs but the wine they sell goes for $25 per bottle. I doubt I could produce the same quality wine, but I could do it, per my calculations, for as little as $5 per bottle based on just juice, not considering other ancillary costs.

I'm seriously considering buying grapes, pressing and all the other stuff, in concert with a few friends that also make wine.

We'll see.

 

[Russ]

juice

I get juice from a grape grower and importer here for a grreat price it's all sweetened to 21 brix and acid levels posted, adjust levels add yeast and your all set to go .All different kinds of grapes and fruit juices . In responce to the last post I get my cheaper juice for under a 1$ a bottle ( concord , niagria, fredonia) 5 gal $22.50

 

[Runningwolf]

I get juice from a grape grower and importer here for a grreat price it's all sweetened to 21 brix and acid levels posted, adjust levels add yeast and your all set to go .All different kinds of grapes and fruit juices .

Where are you buying from?

 

[Russ]

Walkers they also have hot packed juices I'll find the web site and post it >http://www.walkersfruitbasket.com/try that web site i've made crowd pleasing wines with there juice >

 

[jtmayo]

Juice

Yeah, I just got the 23 liters of Cab/Merlot from Chile for $48. A friend made a drive to another state and picked it up. It's also balanced at a specific Brix, 21 I think.

Based on my math, buying grapes from the winery would equal about $150 for 23 liters, no guarantee of brix or acid. I have seen ads for lugs of grapes and I think the cost was about the same. I'm confused about how I can buy 23 liters of juice for $48 and virtually everything else is around $90-150? Are the more expensive lugs/grapes/kits better or did I just stumble into a good deal?

Also, I want to add oak to my cab/merlot - dump the chips into the carboy for secondary fermentation and rack the wine on top?

Thanks!

 

[Runningwolf]

Thats what I thought. I am up their often. Planning on some folks from Pgh. to come up here then doing a road trip up there.

 

[robie]

Yeah, I just got the 23 liters of Cab/Merlot from Chile for $48. A friend made a drive to another state and picked it up. It's also balanced at a specific Brix, 21 I think.

Thanks!

Don't depend on their statement of the TA, PH or BRIX. Always check it again, yourself, just to be sure. These readings can differ from one grape bunch to another on the same vine. When they test, they take a sample of a sometimes very large quantity of grapes. It may or may not be representative of what you get.

 

[jdeere5220]

Also, I want to add oak to my cab/merlot - dump the chips into the carboy for secondary fermentation and rack the wine on top?
Thanks!

Not sure this applies to making wine from juice, but for the kits they have you put the oak chips into your primary and leave them behind for secondary. So they are only on the oak for about a week.

If you dump them into your carboy, be prepared to see them all floating on top once you rack into that vessel. The chips float for 2-3 days, then sink once they soak up some juice.

 

[jtmayo]

Oak

Yes, one kit going and they had me add oak for the primary. I want to add oak to this Cab/Merlot batch I have going from juice but am not sure when to add it. I think racking into a food grade tub and adding oak might be an option around day 7...gotta research.

Mayo

 

[Chateau Joe]

Walkers they also have hot packed juices I'll find the web site and post it >http://www.walkersfruitbasket.com/try that web site i've made crowd pleasing wines with there juice >

Walkers juice comes in 5 gallon pails only. The juice I've received from them is has been marginal at best.

Good luck with your first crush this fall. Long Island has some the best red wines out there.