Kennell Estates Vineyard & Winery

[fivebk]

Hi everyone, I am new to wine making with only two batches started to date.

This last summer I decided to start making my own wines and since I live on a small acreage I decided to take the plunge full bore. I have ordered 27 vines for spring 2009 delivery. Before cold weather set in I had all my trellis poles set. Since I live in NW Missouri I had to find cold hardy grapes. I have 8 each of St Croix, Vignoles , and Frontenac Gris , coming and 3 vines of Edelweiss since I already have 3 of these started . Last spring I planted the 3 edelweiss vines and in one season they grew to the top wire and 5 feet each way. If everything goes well, I would like to be able to produce good wines from grapes I’ve grown myself. I also have two apple trees, two cherry trees (one sweet and one sour), two pear trees, three plum trees, and one peach tree. I also will be experimenting with fruit wines from these trees.

The building in the background will be my future winemaking area.</font>

Future Home Vineyard </font>

Future Home Vineyard </font>

Future Home Vineyard </font>

First Year Edelweiss Vine - planted spring of 2008 </font>

My Future winemaker - Granddaughter Caydence</font>

I did a lot of reading before I started all this and am very excited to start this project. I really enjoy this site and know that if I run into any snags along the way that there are a whole lot of folks on this site willing and able to help.

Bob</font>

 

[fivebk]

OOPS!!!
Forgot to add my wine in the making.

Apple Wine

Cherry Zin

Both wines bulk aging

 

[NorthernWinos]

Thanks for sharing the photos of your projects....Your trees are looking real good.

Your wines look great...The apple wine is awesomely brilliant.

 

[admiral]

Nice looking farm! Nice looking wines! Nice looking family! Thanks for the photos.

 

[grapeman]

It looks like you have some room to expand there Bob. Great job on the prep work. I bet you can't wait for the spring thaw to get started!


We look forward to a lot of sharing from you about your projects and winemaking. Great to have you aboard.

 

[fivebk]

Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement . It's true I can't hardly wait for sring .

Appleman I do have room to expand if everything goes well. I have an additional 2 1/2 acres of land just to the south of my trellises.

BOB

 

[Wade E]

Looking good there fivebk!

 

[AlFulchino]

Bob, its all looking good....oneof yourpictures hit me...tell me about that cherry zin.....i have always been a cherry lover...and to combine it w the wine my grandfather made suits me...i am all ears

 

[fivebk]

Al Fulchino The cherry zin I made is not from zinfandel grapes I got the recipe from another cite it sounded interesting so I tried it . It is made from welches grape concentrate , cherries , blackberries , blueberries , peppercorns , and oak chips . Cherry zin was just the name put to the recipe . I don't know how it will turn out but it is supposed to be good.It has only been bulk aging for about 6 weeks.

BOB

 

[AlFulchino]

it sounds delicious...when you get a chance let us know how it came out

 

[fivebk]

Hi everyone , I will be starting a small vineyard this spring ( 30 vines ) . I already have my poles set so my trellis question is this. I need to know what trellis system will work the best for the grapes I have selected?I don't want to make a mistake when I start running wire this spring. My grape selections are St Croix , Frontenac Gris , Edelweis , Vignoles , and Brianna . (My wife loves white wines) . I have done some research and I think I know what I need ,but it would take a load off of my mind if someone would verify what I need .

Thanks

BOB

 

[grapeman]

Those are all hybrid grapes with trailing or semi-upright growth habit. Your easiest option for a home grower would be to use Top Wire Cordon- or TWC. You will want two wires minimum, one at about 30-40" above the ground and the top wire at about 5 feet. This top one will bear the load of the vine and crop load of grapes. Make sure the wire is tensioned either with gripples or wire tensioners. You can just pull them tight, but the crop load will stretch the wire and it will sag.


Train the vines up a bamboo pole or something similar this year. When it reaches the top wire you can bend the shoot over to one side. I will get more into the training later this year, just ask about it later in the year. You will be growing a vine this year to put down a good foundation of roots. Next year you will form the trunk and maybe some cordon or canes. Then in the third year if growth was good the first two years, you can finish the cordons and start with a small crop.


The Edelweiss on the previous page is a good example of a vine with a good start. You could either leave it basically as is and let it size up this coming year or cut it back to just below the top wire and let new cordons form this year. That would let the trunk size up a bit better. You can leave them as is though and cut the cordons back to where they are the size of a pencil and let them expand from there.


If you keep all your questions under one post about your vineyard, it makes it easier to follow along with their growth as you progress. I went ahead and moved your post and my response over here- hope you don't mind.

 

[fivebk]

Thanks appleman

 

[grapeman]

Here is an example of a good system you can use for TWC. This one uses 3 wires at 24", 48" and 60". You notice how the wires attach to the end posts. This system uses gripples. They aren't real cheap, but it allows the wires to be tightened every year. If you buy a starter kit, it comes with the tool and gripples to get you going. One 4000 foot spool of 12.5 guage high tensile wire should be enough to do the whole thing and costs about $100 at Tractor Supply.


By the way the shorter posts in the picture are really straight up and down- optical illusion because the next post is tilted about 30 degrees.

 

[AlFulchino]

Fivebk:

yes what he said!

i will add to :
"You can just pull them tight, but the crop load will stretch the wire and it will sag."

adding that summer heat will actually stretch the wire some as well and the cold will contract the wire some and these factors should not be discounted (what is the length in your pictures?)

length of row will dictate importance of tension as well, as your tension needs decrease w shortness of row, by that i mean, a shorter length is more forgiving.

Rich you are right about the ease a TWC would bring.....i would ask next what his yard size is, expectancy of sun hours, distance between rows and length of because i have a hunch that a system w a double fruiting wire/zone would be worth the initial set-up but later producing a modest incremental increase in upkeep yet a doubling of harvest...what do you think?

 

[grapeman]

Rich you are right about the ease a TWC would bring.....i would ask next what his yard size is, expectancy of sun hours, distance between rows and length of because i have a hunch that a system w a double fruiting wire/zone would be worth the initial set-up but later producing a modest incremental increase in upkeep yet a doubling of harvest...what do you think?

Are you proposing a GDC or something else?
Al I think fivebk is best off with a single fruiting zone to begin with. He can get a good crop from that zone and they will ripen better than if there is a potential overcropping situation.

 

[fivebk]

Al, the length of the rows are 60 feet

 

[fivebk]

As in my pics the end posts are angled about 60 degrees and I plan on using earth anchors with tensioners . I will probably use some wirevise units also. my rows are 10 feet apart

 

[grapeman]

That is about how I do mine at home also Bob, except I don't have the angled posts plus the extra ones. I tried the tensioners, but I don't like them. The gripples are 100 times easier to use. You pull the wire through with the applicator by squeesing 2 handles together. If the wire loosens with time, you just retension it. I used the ratcheting tighteners and with high tensile wire they are very hard to apply.


For you info here is a picture of the gripple tool, etc.

And a link to where you can get it.


http://www.orchardvalleysupply.com/ovsstore/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=14&amp;idproduct=286


It is also a good source of vineyard supplies.

 

[AlFulchino]

"...St Croix , Frontenac Gris , Edelweis , Vignoles , and Brianna ..."

Rich I think Geneva Double Curtain is a good option for St Croix and F. Gris because they have great vigor...I have both of these as I believe you do also. The GDC would permit more even ripening versus say a Scott Henry.

I have Brianna and its vigor is medium plus in my view....so w some extra time GDC would work w maybe one extra year of training. His site looks like its going to be a reasonably fertile one and excess growth is always going to need to be clipped off frequently if he goes w single wire fruiting, and as he gets experience with his own set of circumstances in his vineyard he can adjust the crop. For instance in a high water/rain year you may just need extra leaf and crop to avoid low sugar numbers...in drier years he can reduce crop.....I believe that single fruiting zones are best done in low fertile or lower fertile growing conditions.

In fact, let me add this..I am using Scott Henry on an extremely fertile tract of land.....I would strongly consider GDC if I had to start all over again mostly because of possible ripening issues, sun and air flow. Nothing against Scott Henry because it DOES assist on excess vigor, and some other things as well...and definitely in high vigor sites i would choose both of these over single fruiting wires.

Also, i firmly believe that a passionate vineyard owner, of which I believe he is going to be, will dedicate the time needed to succeed if he had one wire, so the extra step for a double wire will be rewarded w more grapes and be doubly appreciated. If his site is low on fertility then i am all with you on a single wire

I do not have experience w Edelweis or Vignoles so I won't suggest anything for those at the moment.

Lastly, i appreciate the discussion with you of the pros and cons.