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Skiddles
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Posted: Oct 18th, 2006 03:35 pm |
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| I have been thinking about different options for sitting land. We have some land around here in Guilford County and some in VA, close to Chateau Morrisette winery ~ Fun place by the way. Is there a co-op of some kind with growing grapes?
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Scott L
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Posted: Oct 19th, 2006 12:29 am |
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I don't know of any vineyard coops only winery coops. The winery ones have not been very successful either in North Carolina or Virginia. I would think that vineyard coops would only work in established wine regions unless one could find a very rich person who is planning on building a winery without an associated vineyard. Then maybe a small number of people could together enter into a long term contract with the winery. Vineyards typically require 8-10 years before making a profit because of the establishment costs ($6000-10000/acre). Most grape varieties that grow well here are presently in oversupply (e.g Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc There are knitch (sp?) varieties that one could plant but they are less well known to consumers and thus of questionable interest to wineries (e.g. Norton, Syrah, Traminette). I know of some people who have gone ahead and planted grapes and others who have chosen Rabbiteye blueberries or some other crop easier to grow than grapes.
Good luck,
Scott
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Skiddles
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Posted: Oct 19th, 2006 12:37 pm |
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Thanks Scott for sharing your knowledge about growing grapes. Maybe I'll just grow some for jelly and juice around home. Where is the best place to purchase my vines? I guess I'll have to continue to live vicariously threw what seems to be a mutual friend of ours and their vineyard...good people! They have some work to do to heal and reestablish their vineyard after that terrible wind-shear a bit ago. I feel bad for them
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Scott L
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Posted: Oct 20th, 2006 01:14 am |
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Skiddles,
There is a blue, Concord type from Arkansas named Sunbelt that does well here. It is seeded and at least moderately disease resistent. Niagara does well too. It is white, very productive, and quite vigorous. Both have a labrusca (grapey) taste and are excellent for jelly and juice. You can make sweet wine out of them. Check with Foster Nursery (Michigan?) and see if they have some. I have a few small plants of locally bred seedless varieties that also have some resistence if you want to try them. They are great for eating fresh, but I don't know if they make good jelly. Birds love all of the above. Thanks for the sympathy for those of us who work at the vineyard on Pleasant Ridge Rd. in Summerfield.
Scott
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Skiddles
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Posted: Oct 20th, 2006 02:07 pm |
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Thanks! 
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Scott L
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Posted: Mar 4th, 2007 03:39 pm |
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If anyone is interested in trying to grow some seedless grapes, I am about to prune mine and would be happy to share some cuttings. These grapes do not need to be grafted and can be fairly easily propogated from hardwood cuttings.
These are resistant to most of our diseases but are not immune and will need spraying occasionally, especially in the Spring and early Summer. They have been bred in NC and ARK.
Scott
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S. Smith
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Posted: Apr 18th, 2007 02:04 pm |
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| Does anyone know what the recent cold snap did to the grape crop around here?
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Scott L
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Posted: Apr 18th, 2007 03:41 pm |
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After a cold front like we've had, it takes a couple of weeks to determine how much injury the vines have sustained. Most of the European varieties (vinifera grapes) have significant damage, at least to the shoots that have already emerged. We don't know yet whether unemerged buds or the trunks and canes have been damaged. Varieties such as Chardonnay and Merlot which had 1-3 inch. green shoots in this area when the front came through will likely have a 80-90% loss of crop. Varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
may produce 60-90% of the usual crop. Unlike the NC mountains and higher elevations in Virginia where the temperatures were much lower than here, we probably sustained much less cane and trunk injury. This was a record setting freeze so fortunately we won't experience this degree of cold very often. Late frosts are more common here and grape growers should prepare for them.
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Scott L
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Posted: Aug 23rd, 2007 02:24 am |
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| Since this forum is closing, if you would like to talk about Growing Grapes, I can be reached at scottlawrence@triad.rr.com
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