Texas harvest 2012

[hobbyiswine]

I hope to volunteer a few times this year to harvest grapes. I will be using this thread to post some pictures.

 

[hobbyiswine]

Picked some Muscat Canelli last night but apparently pictures will not load from my iPad. Will have to come up with another solution and post them when I can.

 

[TJsBasement]

I havent posted pic from the ipad yet but on the photo you gotta hit the plus button when making a post. Sorry if you already know that.

 

[hobbyiswine]

let's see if this works. Try uploading them from my phone...

 

[hobbyiswine]

These Grenache are not quite ready but should be fully ripe by mid-late July. Very pretty vines.

 

[TxBrew]

Where was this at?

 

[ibglowin]

Grapes look nice! What is going on with those vines/leaves in the last 2 pics?

 

[hobbyiswine]

Txbrew the vineyard is west of Waco. ibglowin it has been in the 100 plus range for a while. Think the colors are just from those leaves on the edges starting to dry out. Texas is a couple months ahead of most everyone else so these vines are just getting tuned up for fall a bit earlier than most. They were budding in February so they are going on 6months of hard work.

 

[grapeman]

It looks like a mineral deficiency. Could be manganese.

 

[Deezil]

It looks like a mineral deficiency. Could be manganese.

Does the heat have any effect on the plants ability to intake various nutrients? I know with some plants it does, i just dont know enough about grapes..

 

[ibglowin]

Trace elements are crucial for proper uptake of nutrients which get conveyed to plant food (photosynthesis) If one thing is way off the whole process starts to suffer and breakdown. I am constantly fighting high pH due to our alkaline water. I have to keep adding ferrous sulfate to lower the pH in the soil. Otherwise you get yellowing of everything (grass and leaves) no matter how much nitrogen is available.

 

[Sparky]

From the pictures, it looks like only the oldest leaves are affected.

 

[hobbyiswine]

Volunteered my efforts at another vineyard today. This vineyard is a bit further east of the previous. Harvested a grape that is gaining in popularity here in the southern states due to its resistance to Pierce's disease. The grape is called Blanc du Bois. Brix were around 23. Tasted wonderful so this vintage looks to make some nice wine. Here are a few pictures.

 

[Deezil]

That looks like a great day.... Is that aluminum foil over the stainless steel tanks? Any idea why?

Lotsa good lookin grapes, there

 

[Runningwolf]

Great pictures. I was wondering the same thing with the foil unless they're trying to keep fruit flies off them (that would be a losing battle).

 

[ibglowin]

Silly guys,

Thats to keep the aliens out of their flex tanks.

 

[hobbyiswine]

They had cleaned the tanks getting them ready for this years grape juice. Guess the foil is their way of keeping the "chunks" out? I dunno....

 

[hobbyiswine]

Syrah harvest. 4th leaf vines. Produced about 3 tons per acre.

 

[robie]

Those Blanc du Bois are really nice looking grapes.

Thanks for the photos.