Wine time

We started 5 gallons of Niagara last week.  It's still in the primary fermenter but about ready to transfer.  Today Kathy started picking some Concords for juice.  They look very healthy and are ripening fast.  I never put bird netting on this year and had only a little damage.  The honey bees are all over the bird-pecked fruit.

2013 Harvest

Last week, I took the St. Croix, Frontenac and some of the De Chaunac and blended them.  They are in the primary now, looking and smelling good.  I love this stage of the wine.  This week I will harvest the rest of the Niagaras, which are looking pretty good though the birds are starting to get on them.  I did not put up bird nets this year--just too busy, too hot, (too lazy?)  I have enough already for 2 gallons and will get enough for two more gallons, the rest going into juice.  Concords, from which we'll make juice, are still pretty slow, though the red seedless Concord bore heavy, very clean bunches that we are still enjoying.

Moore's Diamond

I picked this one today.  It had suddenly started to have many more bad grapes, and the honey bees and especially bumble bees were all over it.  I still got a surprisingly good harvest from it, getting a solid 8 quarts.  I'll make two gallons of wine and have 3 qts. of juice.  It's amazing how quickly the grapes can change from day to day.  This variety is always a bit earlier than the Niagara, though they are so similar.  I was planning to do the Niagara on Thursday but I might wait.  I'm slowly learning I have to let the grapes let me know when to pick, not the calendar.

Very Cool, Then Very Hot August

I picked the Reliance seedless, a few aurore, and the frontenac gris I let grow this year.  I blended them with a few of the white Concords, which have never done well before but have a great, fruity taste this year and have been very free of disease.  So I made a gallon from that and had enough to make another gallon, plus a quart of juice, from the white Concords.  It will be interesting to see how the flavor  compares with the Niagaras, which I plan to pick this Thursday, the 29th.  I got readings with the refractometer anywhere from 15 to 18.  I'd let them go a bit longer if I had the time and if the birds would stay off them, but the birds are starting to work on them.  There were honey bees on the damaged grapes, the first time I've seen this.  It has to be due to the extreme dryness we've had.  I'll harvest the grapes, steam them and save the juice until I can turn it into wine.
So far, I have one gallon of blueberry, a gallon of white blended, which may have a bit of a rose color when finished, and a gallon of concord white.  Another two to three gallons of Niagara would be great.
As for reds, the frontenac and St. Croix are about ready and I may be able to do something with them early next week.  Nortons are pretty much a wash this year.  I may or may not do some De Chaunac. I haven't ever been very happy with the wine from that grape unfortunately.

Spraying June 7

Captan and Quintec. 
Noted some brown areas on some leaves, particularly Nortons.
Grape harvest will be really low this year.  Wonder if that is a widespread situation across the state.

Spray, Wed. May 29

Captan, mancozeb, quintec.
It's been raining almost daily, with flooding likely.  The grapes continue to vary greatly in their development.  They look good at this point as far as disease goes, but it will be a small harvest.  Still impressed with the virility of the Frontenac Gris.  It is growing like crazy.  I left a few grapes just to see how they will do and respond to disease/treatment.

Spraying May 21, 2013

Captan, Mancozeb, Nova

Shoots are very varied on the plants.  Some buds are just now breaking out on branches I had thought were dead while others have shoots now 4-6 inches.  Have definitely lost two Cayuga whites, with the third showing growth only at the base.  I'll let it grow and trim off the dead but will not replant this variety since it really seemed to grow very slowly and a harsh winter did them in.  Compared to the Frontenac gris, which are 2 years old and very vigorous.  If the grapes, of which I'll let a few develop this year, show promise I may replant with two more of those.

Spray May 14, 2013

Mancozeb, Nova and Captan.
Still looks like 2 Cayuga whites are gone.  One has a little bud down near the base of the plant.  Several have apparently dead large arms that will need to be trimmed off later.
Love this time of the year, though, with the grapes trimmed and new shoots emerging.  The vineyard is clean and pretty.

May 7, 2013

Real mix on bud break.  Frontenac gris looking good, half inch shoots.  Many still just at bud break or not even quite to that point.  What a contrast with last year at this time.
Sprayed today:  mix of captan, copper, mancozeb.  Will plan to repeat in 7 days.
Looks like I have maybe lost 4 vines:  2 cayuga whites, one aurore and one de chaunac.  One of the older nigaras looks really bad, very few buds.  Tough winter.  Will try to replace mostly with niagaras.