Vines Budding

That time of year again.

I noticed a few vines in the top row are starting to have buds that are beginning to swell! This can only mean one thing. Bring on spring time. 17/08/2019.

Will try and take photos every couple of days, to show growth.

Port wine

Found a bottle of  2009 Blackberry sweet wine in the cellar, while doing a clear-out. So thought I'd try and have a go at turning this into a Port wine! Found a demijohn of 2017 Merlot, and combined these, with some Oak wood chips. Something happened as the Port wine was very clear, and yet I could see that it started working again.
Gave the Oak chips a couple of weeks to do their work, then raked them off. To this I added one litre of Brandy. It continued to keep working, but within 2 days, the alcohol did its work and the yeast stopped doing its stuff. Can't wait to try this out.

This first photo shows the Blackberry and Merlot, ready to rack into the five litre Demijohn. You can also see the one litre of Brandy, ready to go in.

 I marked off the Demijohn, to help with the correct amounts.

 I labelled the Demijohn, so as to not to bottle it as normal wine.

I know that it is not the correct way to manufacture Port wine, but I'm a creative person still in my old age! Time will tell. Should make six bottles (750 ml) of Port wine.
Will have to create a new Port wine label for these, before bottling time.

 Have called this a vintage Port.

2019

I retired from work this year, with my health in decline.
Have been working in the Vineyard most days. Now all of the pruning has been done, the vines are looking good. Have tried again to graft onto the riparian root stock (RS) some Merlot. These are to take place of the vines that died, due to wet feet I'm thinking. I rains a bit here in the winterless north. Watched a few videos on Youtube and saw one were a guy cut into the RS, half way from both sides, staggered of course. This helps stop the bleeding when trying to graft on further up the vine. It works, as soon as I made the cuts, the vine started to bleed from these. The grafting was done onto last years wood.
To help prove that this could work, I did a few without the lower cuts. Labelled these (1) onto the grafting tape with a permanent marker. Then all the later ones I did I marked with (cut).
The lower cuts when first bleeding, ran clear. But these cuts now show, a whiteish  bleed. This appears to be slowing down as well.
The buds on the grafted Merlot, seem to be swelling now (16/08/19). So will keep an eye on these.

 The cuts bleed shows white now.

 Grafts shown here, were done a various times, during winter time.

 Have marked (cut) onto the grafting tape. This was hard to do onto the flexible tape!

 Four different views of the grafting shown here.

I have been trying to graft onto to these RS for a few years now with no success. This is the year, I'm hoping.
Will keep posting new photos this year. I'm hoping that the grafts will take.

Refractometer

The Refractometer is easy to read. Only takes a grape to get a reading.

 Squezzing

 13.5 degrees Brix.

Grapes are changing colour

The weather is hot and a few showers of rain every day is keeping the grass growing. Last year at this time there was no grass growth.
The grape bunches are starting to colour up. You can still see a few green ones showing through.

Brix reading

How is it?

Got a refractometer a few years ago. Easy to use and read. Only need a grape and its juice to get a reading.

Currently I'm taking a reading each day of both the MERLOT AND CHAMBOURCIN. This started at 7 degrees bris on 23rd Jan 2016 and is now at 14.6 3rd Feb 2016.
Will start to pick at around 22+ brix.

 Look through the eye piece

 Read off the scale

How is it?
Jan 26th 2016. Nets are being placed over the vines.
Brix reading 8 degrees. Have sprayed on Ecocarb. This effects the Ph level, by doing this the black spot stops spreading.

 We store the nets while not in use in Big black plastic bags, in the loft.

 This shot shows off the mesh size

 Looking back up to the house with the nets draped over the vines

 Along the two bottom rows. The first three are Merlot.

I tie the inside rows together with twisty ties. This stops the nets from being blown off in strong winds. It takes a few hours to do all the rows!

 Two more rows to go today. It is very hot today.

 A few bunches of Chambourcin, looking good.

 Looking North west down towards the sea

Looking North east towards the sea. Tide is coming in.

A few bottles of Merlot 2015

Had to do some bottling to free up some space for this years wines.



Mean time out in the vineyard.... Today is the 3rd of Jan 2016.
That time of year, have finished with the leaf plucking. The bunches of Chambourcin are looking good. Have been spraying with copper to try and keep the black spot at bay. Seems to be working, as I have only seen a few spots.


Have trimmed back the tops of the vines, as at the moment they are going for it.

 The Merlot seemed to have done better this year. Did three sprays with Boron. The Kauri trees from the past stripped it all, then when they got exported they took the Boron with them. Boron helps with the fruit set. Still not 100% but better.

 The helper ( Jaz the wonder dog ) is seen here standing in the shade.

Will be putting the bird nets on soon. Hot and humid at the moment.

Pressing the Grapes to make wine.

After stripping the grapes off the stems and foot stomping to help break the skins, added the Lalvin EC 111-8 yeast. Stirred and plunged the marc twice a day. Then after 8 days onto the press.

Did you notice how much free run juice there is?
The second video shows more I hope!

The Grape Harvest of 2015

That time of year again.
The Brix levels are high this year, with constant readings of 26 +.

 Lifted off the bird netting on one side prior to picking.

The first of the freshly picked grapes in the buckets. Inside out of the sun. 

After a few hours of stripping the grapes off the stems, and the traditional feet stomping, The must has the yeast (EC 111-8) added and with a bit of a stir the wine cycle begins.

Vine Pruning time in Vineyard

How is it?
Hot up north still.
Time to do a bit of Vineyard pruning. The Vines are really going for it at the moment. Can hardly walk down the rows. Diving the quad and trailer down, you can get lost!.
Will need to put the bird nets on soon.

 

How is it?

20th December 2014. Bottling time as it's raining outside.
Have a few test Demijohns of this years Merlot. So today is as good as time as possible to bottle one off. Got 6 newish bottles, washed and ready to go.
Racked into these a good looking Merlot 14.

Had a little taste with some of the remaining ... Nice.
Cant wait for next year.
Very nice with some stinky blue vein cheese on soft crackers.