Valley Brew Vineyard!

[masta]

Well after a few days of nice sunshine and no rain and the vines have responded well. They are looking much better and don't think the Blue-X tubes would work well at all in the Northeast since we have to deal with moisture issues even without the deluge we dealt with the last month.


A few pictures of the Traminette vines which were effected the most with the moisture issue.

Picked these off the same vines and didn't see any on the Cab Franc.

 

[grapeman]

Good to see they are growing out again. I did a little checking on mildew susceptibility. The Traminette is rated as moderately susceptible or sensitive and the Cabernet Franc is rated as highly susceptible. Suprising that the Francs did better in that case. Is it definitely mildew or did the buds burn in the grow tubes, making them more sesceptible? We'll probably never know for sure, but they are on the road to recovery and looking much better.

By the way, the hand in the last picture should consider being a Hand Model!

(reference to George in one of the Seinfeld shows)

 

[paubin]

Hey Masta, I've been watching the weather and oh no!!! You guys are
getting flooded again! Hope with all the rain and temps in the 70's
mildew won't become an issue. Good luck and I hope all is OK with
Valley Brew vineyards.



Pete

 

[Waldo]

Might have to put umbrellas over each plant for a day or two. Seriously, looking good Masta and hope the vineyard does great. We are moving on huh ?

 

[masta]

Yes we have been getting drenched again...man this is getting old! Had a B-Day party for Ty yesterday and it went well despite the weather. Can only hope for some sun tomorrow to help dry things out but the upcoming week is not looking good with more heavy rain possible on Wednesday and next weekend.


If these vines survive through this year I think they could make it through anything.

 

[rgecaprock]

Speaking of Rain!!!


I've been in Richmond, Va.this past week visiting my sisters...and I'm still here. I have a standby ticket that I got from a Continental employee that my sister knows. I spent all day in the airport yesterday trying to get back to Texas and between the storms in Atlanta delaying and the oversold seats a standby seat was impossible. So here I am today still in Va. no flights out with any available seats not to mention the deluge we are getting. Looks like the same weather-wise tomorrow. I'm going to see if I can get on a flight tomorrow at 1 and 5 oclock to Houston......if not....oh well. Im having fun with my sisters, drinking lots of wine!!!!....Boss isn't too happy though ....oh well there too!!!.....Ramona

 

[peterCooper]

Ramona, I confused.
I thought you WERE the boss.

My wife says "if it's not in pants, it's the boss"

Edited by: peterCooper

 

[rgecaprock]

peterCooper,


The boss, as in the guy who pays my salary,,,,,9-5 Monday thru Friday.....lol. I was supposed to be back today and he doesn't understand stand-by ticket...since he is always in first class. Can't understand why I'm not there. If I can't leave tomorrow to be there on Wed. then he will probably send me a bus ticket or something....lol.


The boss with the pants is missing me!!!!!!

 

[rgecaprock]

About the rain!!!!! Now 3 days late getting back!!!


I just spent another day at the airport trying to get back to Texas, should have been home on Sunday. The weather has been terrible as I'm sure you weather watchers have seen the east coast and what is going on. Flights were cancelled so here I am again at my sisters.


Ramona


Gotta get back to winemaking.....!!!!! and trying to catch up on the forum!!Edited by: rgecaprock

 

[Angell Wine]

Going through BBQ withdraws can be a hard thing to do. Our prayers are with any Texan who is in a foreign country.

 

[Pepere]

Ramona:


Rain, did you say rain?? If y'all remember what Masta went through last month ditto it here in Maryland. It's been raining off and on now for a week. 5" Sat. and Sun. and I'm not sure what we've had the last two days but travel in this area is down right hazerdous to your health.


The Patuxent River IS over it's banks and claiming downtown Laurel Marylandand for all I know the Potomacmay have claimed a part of Alexandria Va by now. (I haven't seen the news this morning.) No sun until Friday is the prediction.


In those famous words of Noah: "What's a cubit??"

 

[masta]

We had two nice days of fairly warm weather and mostly sunny sky's which helped dry out things a bit. The vines are looking good dispute the abundance of rain and lack of sun.


I have some time off next week and will be putting up my trellis finally.Edited by: masta

 

[paubin]

I'm glad to hear all is well! Hopefuuly the next line of storms doesn't get ya to bad. Some picks of the trellis would be great.



Pete

 

[Angell Wine]

I have some time off next week and will be putting up my trellis finally.


I figured you be putting up a boat ramp.

 

[OldWino1]

We got wet down I 95 also

 

[grapeman]

Masta,
Do you have any new pics of the vines-especially the Cab Franc?

 

[masta]

Took a few pics today of the vines and still fighting off the damn beetles who just don't seem to want to go away.


Here is the tallest of the Cab Franc vines and the top wire is roughly 60 " high. The wire is called Supercoat and the black plastic coating is bonded to the 12.5 gage high tensile wire. A friend had a bunch extra from his grape vines and offer it to me so it was a great deal I couldn't pass up.

Yes the weeds and now almost small trees really grew back with vigor from the cleared area. This Cab Franc vine was stripped of all it's leaves by the beetles but has come back to continue growing.

These are the Traminette vines and they are doing ok but like the Cab Franc there is quite a difference in the height. Some vines are only two feet and a few are five feet high!

Edited by: masta

 

[grapeman]

Thanks for posting the pictures. This year seems to have been a challenge for most of the country. The Japanese Beetles were a real challenge it seems almost everywhere in the east. I'm tempted to try a few Cab Franc up here, but I'm afraid it may be a little too cold even laying them down. I'll monitor yours and see how they do- so far they look great in spite of everything with the weather and the insects. That wire looks like a good idea. I've noticed that the wind rubs the tender vines against the wire in places and damages the vine. That wire should help. You really had to work there to get your area cleared- it looks almost like the moon's surface with all the rocks.

Are the grapes ripening in your area yet so you can get any juice or do you have to do all kits?

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Scott - I just returned from several weeks vacation to South Carolina and returned by way of the Finger Lakes to visit several wineries around Lake Keuka. I tasted some very good Cab Franc at all the places we visited and of course entertained the notion of trying to grow some for myself. Like Appleman said, we'll monitor how yours do for several years. You never know, if the climate indeed is warming, New England will become a prime grape growing region!

 

[winesnob]

You never know, if the climate indeed is warming, New England will become a prime grape growing region!

That would be one good thing about global warming...

I am itching to move to Santa Ynez where I could grow my favorite grapes (Chardonnay and Syrah), but I have to win the lotto to get a place like this:
http://www.realtor.com/Prop/1045547563