New Concord Vines

[acowz]

I may have purchased a couple of concord grape vines from an online retailer in the middle of vacation wine daze hahaha. Well they just showed up to the house and now I'm trying to figure out what to do with them. I do not have a spot picked out for our new garden nor a plan of how to keep the resident deer away from them when we do pick a spot. All of this planning was going to take place this fall/winter with fencing to start in the spring. My current plan is to get them out of their small containers and into some 20-gal pots with a good potting soil and a stake to tie the main trunk up (plants are roughly 18"-24" tall already). These pots would winter in our garage that is protected from freezing temps throughout the winter. In the spring once everything is planned and built we would rehome our friends to their permanent homes.

If anyone has any better advice on what to do with these two vines this fall/winter please let me know. I'd really hate to put them in the ground now unprotected from the deer and running the risk of them not making it through the winter. TIA

 

[ChuckD]

Potting and overwintering in the garage should work. Otherwise plant outside with a small fence around them and move them in the spring.

 

[acowz]

@ChuckD Thanks again for the input and sorry for the long delay in responding. I've been reading and researching grape vines for the last week or so and have to say it definitely seems like a daunting task I'm getting ready to undertake, but I'm only planning on maybe 8-10 vines in the garden area to make small batch wines eventually so maybe it's not as bad as I think lol.

I realized after digging into the different types of vines that most reviews on concord grape wine do not match my wife or I's taste in a good/solid wine. My thoughts are to incorporate hybrid vines that might have a similar profile to Sangiovese, Montepulciano, or Pinot Noir grapes. Reading about the cold hardiness of vines and using some research papers from OSU (Ohio State) I think I've settled in on either Corot Noir or Marquette vines...or both (8 of one type or 3-4 vines of each). I'm currently getting ready to till the space and get some soil testing done so I can figure out what/if any amendments for the fall/spring. Any input from the community is welcome and appreciated.


Thanks All

 

[acowz]

Anyone have thoughts on mix and matching these vines?

 

[ChuckD]

Anyone have thoughts on mix and matching these vines?

What I did to chose my varieties was to visit a lot of local wineries that grow their own grapes and sample a lot of varietals and blends… It was a difficult task but nothing worth doing is easy . Maybe talk to the owners too. At Small wineries the server may also be the owner/vineyard manager/winemaker.

With so few vines I would probably limit it to two varieties. I have 98 in the ground and room for a few more. I chose Marquette, Petite Pearl, and Frontenac. For whites I have Brianna and Itasca.