Maine vineyard

[grapeman]

Looking good up there in Yarmouth. The vines are really stretching. They are off to a good start and your efforts are really showing. If you can get ahold of them, rather than cutting bars of soap in pieces, the hotel bars of soap work grear. Leave the wrappers on and hang with paper clips like hanging a Chrismas tree ornament- a little trick taught me by a veteran 1000 acre McIntosh grower.


Youmention Japanese beetles. We've never had them around here, they've stayed just a little south of us, but they made it the rest of the way up here on all the rain storms. I have been hand picking them off the young vines - some three to a plant. I then went to hand strip leaves off the older vines. Some of the upper leaves were gathering points for them- some had 25 to 30 to a leaf!

I don't use much pesticide, but I broke out the Sevin(carbaryl). Hopefully they are about past their busy time for this season and I never see them again!(Ya right

)


Keep up the good work and in a couple years you can sip a glass of wine off your mini-terrace!

Edited by: appleman

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Japanese beetles continue to be a scourge, along with leaf rollers. The Frontenac especially are heavily attacked by the beetles. I squash what I can at the end of each day but there are plenty of reinforcements out there. I'm not at a point, though, where I want to start using a pesticide. Summer is almost over for this area. No trouble with deer, I'm glad to say. Maybe it is the soap, or maybe there is just so much else that's equally as good out in the woods and fields.

A violent thunderstorm rolled over us this evening, with wind gusts over 40 mph and heavy rain. It lasted close to 45 minutes and dumped close to an inch of water. After it eased, I walked through the vineyard. I've been conscientious about tying each leader and any long side shoots to poles and wires, and I was relieved to see that nothing had broken. Everything looked quite bedraggled but intact. Several of the pepper bushes had blown over and the lettuce is flattened, also the pumpkin leaves were plastered down. We haven't had a wind storm like this all summer, just a lot of rain.

 

[NorthernWinos]

We have been begging for rain in these parts....Went to Grand Forks, North Dakota today for some shopping and drove through the heaviest rainstorms I can remember....came home to a rain gauge reading .44/100ths.....our biggest rain in months....Couldn't tell how fast it had come down, things weren't blown around as we suspected they would be, we were just on the edge of the storm cell...it sure smelled good, like spring....every little bit helps, but too late for our corn and soybean crops...those are a failure this year...empty pockets for the next year....
Areas that we had driven through on the way home had gotten 1 1/2 inches in a very short time...the ground is so hard and dry the rain was running off the fields and filling ditches....
Maybe more rain over the next few days....will ease the hose dragging chores and help the growing things ripen...

My tomatoes are ripening, but there are mice eating holes in them as they turn color....I set a mouse trapline last night and have 2 large mice and one shrew caught already...hope to thin out the mice before the Muskmelons start to ripen...always have to share our crops to something, disease, deer, rodents, weather, etc...always something to take the fun out of it..

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Well, we had a beautiful late summer day here in the State O' Maine, a good day to get some progress photos of the vineyard. The vines look to be growing still, although much more slowly. The leaf deterioration I saw 3 weeks ago on some vines hasn't really progressed much, and there is no leaf color change as there is on our table grapes.

A couple of general, overall shots followed by shots of individual vines to show the summer's growth.
Tomatos in the foreground can be ignored.

Here is the biggest, most vigorous Frontenac. It is up to the top wire at 6' and trained horizontally to the left another 6 or 7 feet. Its neighbor to the right is almost as big, seen encroaching from the right.

Just for comparison, I took a shot of the smallest Frontenac.

Now for the largest Landot Noir, up to the top wire and spreading out some each way.

Even the smallest Landot Noir is up to the top wire. This one was slow to grow most of the summer but made up for it in late August and is still going up.

Here is the largest St. Pepin. These vines didn't put on much vegetative growth but easily reached the top wire. The largest was turned laterally to tie down for safety.

Now for the Marechal Foch. They all put on a good amount of vegetative growth and all but one reached the top wire. This largest one was run laterally for another 5-6 feet.

The St. Croix vines are the second most vigorous and leafy after the Frontenac. The largest one had to be run laterally in both directions and also at the mid-wire level.

Finally, the Frontenac Gris. Each of these equaled the Frontenac in vigor and size, and seemed to be some of the most delectable to the Japanese beetles, you just can't see the lacework that they left.

When I planted the vines in early June I used a mychorrizal fungus product on the roots in each hole. Did it have a beneficial effect? I don't really know, but I'd like to think it did. The above ground vigor must be matched by vigorous root growth. The addition of rotted cow manure to the soil probably helped, along with adjusting the soil pH with lime and wood ashes. I've been mulling over how to feed the vines next spring and summer, and would welcome anyone's suggestions and comments. Pruning and training will be another topic when the time comes!
Bill

 

[NorthernWinos]

Thank You for the tour of your vineyard....it looks awesome...very nice indeed...You should be very proud!!!!

 

[grapeman]

Your vines are looking great. They are nice and uniform(relatively) in size. I think that shows they all grew up to their potential. I sure sounds like they received the best care possible. Grat job!

Did you see any new vines on any of the vineyard tours last week? If so did you get any ideas?

 

[Waldo]

I concur with wino....looks awesome. You have put in a lot of hard work there

 

[rgecaprock]

Bill,


I can just picutre you walking through your rowsin the moring with a cup of coffee admiring your vines. It is so beautiful there and your vineyard is
awsome!!!


Ramona

 

[paubin]

I just can't say it enough.... You guys are so lucky! I can't wait until I can show off Chateau Aubin Vinyards. Hopefully by next spring I will find a house up here that fits my families needs and can get started!


Pete

 

[OilnH2O]

I agree with Pete!


Here is the Rattlesnake Creek vinyard here in Missoula last Tuesday -- they put out 'Range Ryder Red' and 'Moonlight' under the Ten Spoons label. About 15 acres of Marechal Foch, Pepin, Louise Swenson and some others. The pictures below are why I'd like to try to take a 10x30 stretch of backyard grass and turn it into about 6 gallons of must each year!

The picture below shows the winery in the background. They may pick this week.

Someone uploaded a picture of deer fences awhile back -- note the elk fence to the left -- that's 5 strands of electrical wire on top!

Not bad for Montana, eh?

Dave

 

[NorthernWinos]

Doesn't that look great....love it!!!!
Those grapes are beauties!!!!
Sure looks beautiful out there...enjoy!!!

 

[grapeman]

Dave, great looking vineyard. Those grapes look delicious too. And the scenery is so Western. Clear your spot, and I'm sure we will all offer to help you get the vines a growing!

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Thanks NW, Richard, Waldo, Ramona, Pete, Dave (whew).

Richard - Yes, the Cab Franc we had was very good. I have no idea how it would do in coastal Maine. It may well need a longer season than I have in order to ripen, and may have to be protected during the winter. Something to look into. Next spring I will be planting some Marquette vines to fill out the rest of my vacant trellis space. Any more vines after that will require some more tree clearing.

Dave, your photos are very exciting, especially hearing of Foch being grown there. I would like to find a source for several bottles of the wine. I'm growing it but have never tasted it - actually I've never tasted any of what I'm growing! Such an adventure.
As Appleman said, we would all love to see you get a small vineyard underway. It sounds like you have a good idea of the varieties you can put in. If you are serious about it, get it underway this fall by analyzing and preparing your soil, and even get trellis components ready to install, and get your vine order on someone's list so you ensure getting them next spring!
BillEdited by: bilbo-in-maine

 

[OilnH2O]

Bill,
Take a look at http://www.tenspoonwinery.com/and look especially at their description of "Range Ryder Red." It appears they will ship cases (from looking at their website) and their list of retailers lists only Montana and Wyoming locations (sorry, Pete! Looks like only in Jackson!).


But, it there is something in particular, I would be happy to figure out a way to getit to you -- just say the word.


Dave

 

[grapeman]

Bill
This winery lists Marechal Foch. Edelweiss and St. Croix. They may have others, I didn't have time to check.


http://www.whiskeyruncreek.com/main.taf?p=4


Also remember the neighbor to the north -Quebec. They produce a lot of cold hardy wines such as Foch. Do a search for Foch Wine Quebec for a starting point. I'm sure you can find some quite a few places. Good Luck!Edited by: appleman

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Dave - Thanks for your generous offer. You never know, I might want to take you up on it. I visited the Tenspoon website and enjoyed it very much. I even wrote an email asking for some general info. We'll see if Connie or Andy has time to answer. Obviously, if I can find a nearby source for Foch I will buy there, so I'm on the hunt.

Richard, thank you too for digging out Whiskeyruncreek. Looks like they will ship single bottles, but their blurb about Foch indicates that it is finished somewhat sweet. I will keep looking. You are right about Canadian sources, but I will have to buy from someone across the border next time I'm in Canada. I don't think they can ship to Maine. I have plenty of time to look, though.
Bill

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Well.... I intended to prune these vines in several weeks, at least a rough pruning. From this point in the season, though, it sure seems like jumping the gun a little. Snow today a fair amount, blowing and quite cold - around 10 degrees. A very cold February has made up for a lovely warm three weeks in January, and right now there is no end in sight for winter weather. I think pruning will have to wait until I know the bitter cold is over and I can get an idea of how well buds have survived. The vines are coming into their second year so I need viable buds at the cordon wires.

 

[grapeman]

I hear you about the weather. Winter is really kicking in here to. The high today so far 0 degrees(at least it warmed up a little today), so far a foot of snow today with 2 feet expected- 35-40 mph for the next two to three days. Blizzard warnings and the surrounding counties including this one are shut down with a state of emergency(not sure what for). Expecting 6-10 foot drifts.


I'm getting the itch for pruning season too, but don't expect it for another month or two. Yor vines are looking good and don't look like they will need pruning back much. Did most of them reach the upper wire?

 

[NorthernWinos]

Bitter cold????? Zero???That's not too bad guys....We've been -20F or below lately...that's cold Baby!!!!...But it could get worse in this neck of the woods.

Enjoy your pruning....

We'll be thinking of you....we won't be able to prune for many weeks...

I do have a rooted cutting under the lights...it has several leaves...my hope for 2007

Meanwhile....enjoy what you get...another day alive is always a good day!!!!

 

[Waldo]

Thats a fact NW. The worst day I ever had in my life was wonderful.