Growing grapes (for wine) in Maine?

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Permalink Reply by Ian on May 3, 2008 at 2:32pm

Hi, there's an excellent list of hardy grape varieties produced by the Minnesota Grape Growers Association. the link; Hardy Grape Varieties

One or two vines grow around my property here in South West France where temperatures over winter drop to about minus18C (0F)!!!

Our growing season is longer though. The vines are already in leaf and grape picking will happen in late September/early October.

Commercial growers here tell me that generally, a vine produces enough grape juice to make one bottle of wine (70cl)

Hope that helps a bit oh my advice is go for it, choose a vine that will withstand your level of cold and really enjoy the wine!!! - Maybe you should bring a bottle to next year's global Kitchen Gardeners event here!

Oh, and one last thing, the guy in the picture makes wine commercially from vines his great, great, grandfather planted almost 100 years ago - so choose the site carefully!!

Ian

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Permalink Reply by Kristin W. on May 3, 2008 at 3:02pm

Thanks, Ian for the list and other info! I will be reading the list and researching where to get the vines. The picture is great! Maybe my little acre and a half will look just like that someday..... I think I can enlist my husband's help with the grapes, but he's not so keen on my other idea, which is a couple of bee colonies. One step at a time....

Do you (or does anyone) have any recommendations for books about this topic? The grapes, not the bees. :)

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Permalink Reply by Ian on May 3, 2008 at 3:34pm

From memory, Bernard, the guy in the photo, has 10 Hectares (22 Acres) and produces something like 50,000 bottles per year. I might be wrong!

I don't have any experience of wine making from grapes other than that gleaned at the sides of the professional vintners here. However, a quick search on amazon .com did come up with two titles I've heard of -

The Backyard Vintner


and

From Vines to Wines

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Permalink Reply by Plumtreed on May 3, 2008 at 6:58pm

The Backyard Vintner is a good read!

I don't know what the frost is like in your area but it is our biggest problem! We live in a region that gets early frosts in the season which has an effect on the blossom. In our case the need is for a grape that blossoms late in the season and ripens early.

Most of our vines are a type of Pinot Meunier which is supposed to have these characteristics but we still do have to fuss around a lot when the vines come into bud and flower. We get hot summers so the grapes have always ripened before the first frosts. (so far). Our vines are not that mature, 4 years, and do not really produce a lot of grapes. Surprisingly small grapes when they do develop!

We have a drip irrigation system running to each vine. However, we have only thirty vines so it is only a hobby and we import grapes from nearby serious growers to supplement our meagre production. So far, I am the only one game enough to drink my 'vintage'!

Do it and enjoy yourselves, it is an active, busy form of gardening.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin W. on May 3, 2008 at 9:28pm

It sounds like you're having fun with it! Our climates seem similar. We can get frost into May and in late September. Our summertime temps can get into the 80s and sometimes 90s. I will check out The Backyard Vintner, thanks for the recommendation! Is the drip irrigation system something you would consider necessary?

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Permalink Reply by Plumtreed on May 3, 2008 at 10:38pm

I doubt that you would need a drip system. We do because this part of Australia is very dry during the summer months. We depend on pumping water from a bore to a tank located higher than the vineyard and then to the plants by the drip system.

Grapes seem to grow in almost any soil. They do take some time to develop and seem to grow at a very slow rate. I think the biggest problem is to get them to pollinate and bear fruit.

Get the book, it is a well of excellent information!

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Permalink Reply by Ian on May 4, 2008 at 8:21am

I think you're right. Plumtreed, about grapes growing in almost any soil. The soil around here is clay/limestone and very little else grows successfully without a lot of amendment. Local vintners say that you need to make the vines struggle to be successful.

I don't know the variety of grape you are growing but if the grape is smaller than you expect it may be a pruning issue. I am amazed how hard the vines are pruned every year around here. They are cut back to just two branches each with just 5 buds on them. Apparently, that is the optimum for the vine to sustain.

The other thing about French wine production is that it is all a blend of 2 or 3 varieties of grape. So, importing a different variety may be good. Is it red or white wine you're producing? And don't forget, the French vinyards are not even allowed to sell their reds until the following July, and most reckon it's not worth drinking for 2 years. You said you drank it but you didn't say if you enjoyed it??

Ian

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Permalink Reply by Plumtreed on May 4, 2008 at 5:35pm

Initially, the pruning all seemed a mystery but I think I have the idea now?? We acquired our vines in a fairly mature state from a producer who was digging out some of his stock. This may be the cause of their slow development. They improve every year.

I do have some more mature Muscatel grapes that develop large bunches of fat, juicy fruit. When I compare these to the others, the Pinot grapes seem small in size.

Yes, I enjoy the wine even though most of the grapes came from another vineyard.

We are going to the UK this year during the Aussie growing season so I intend to just cut back all the foliage and fruit in October to let the roots develop.

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Permalink Reply by Maya on May 4, 2008 at 10:00am

Kristin, I don't grow grapes for wine, but I do grow some grapes in southern Maine. Miller's Nurseries in upstate NY sells varieties bred for the Finger Lakes region and Canada. Your biggest problem in our area may be Japanese beetles, which will defoliate your vines by mid-summer. I know I've seen a winemaking supply store somewhere in the area. If you can find them I bet they'll have a lot of info, and possibly a vintners' group.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin W. on May 4, 2008 at 10:33am

Thanks, Maya. Yes, the Japanese beetles would be a problem, wouldn't they? I hadn't thought of that. They ruin the plum and the Hawthorn trees pretty quickly, and would likely love the addition of some grape vines. That is a bit discouraging. There must be a way to get rid of them! (insert evil laugh) I've used traps, which certainly collect a lot, but I can't help thinking they are attracting more beetles to my yard.

I know there is also a working commercial vinyard in Camden. I need to see what info I can get from them as well. Plus, It's a nice time of year to go upcoast, and I might even get to try some wine! Yum. They might be less likely to share information than a nursery, but you never know.

I can't think of where there's a winemaking store, but that would be handy. There's a beer brewing store on Forest ave., maybe they carry wine supplies, too. I will check out the yellow pages.

We went to the finger lakes this past October (very fun) and found that the New York whites tend to be sweet, and the reds really pretty light-bodied. I know they are trying out more types of red grapes up there all the time, and maybe Miller's would be able to fill me in on what to experiment with. We would almost certainly want to make red wine.

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Permalink Reply by Maya on May 4, 2008 at 7:51pm

http://www.thehopshop.com/contact.html

I think they're in Gray, near Woodsprite Orchids? They do winemaking supplies as well.

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Maya on May 4, 2008 at 7:59pm

Whoa, and check out the links on the Hopshop's site. You can actually major in viticulture and enology, specializing in northern climates, as an undergraduate at Cornell. University is so wasted on 18 year olds. We really need several go-rounds in this life...

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