The matter on Wine Vineyard written here has been written in such a way that it facilitates easy memorization. This memorized matter can later be used.

How to Grow Grapes for Excellent Wine

I think it quite safe to say that more has been written about the cultivation of grapes than has - or ever will be - written about any other fruit. This is not surpris?ing, considering that the grape is probably the oldest of known fruits.

Surprisingly, grapes do not need loads of manures and fertilizers; they grow well on quite poor soils and need little after-attention. The roots will search out and find what they want; all we have to concern ourselves with is where to put the top-growth - the vine itself.

If one wall of your house faces south, south-west or even west, that problem is solved very easily. If you cannot plant the vine under that particular wall, plant it round the corner and train the vine round to the sunny side of the house. Grapes may be grown in the open garden in similar fashion to loganberries, or they may be trained over sheds, garages, out-houses and such-like.

Vines are not expensive, and if two are planted, the yield may be regarded as fantastic when considering the value of the wine that may be made for many years.

Planting is best carried out in autumn and in any case before Christmas. If planting against a wall, take out a hole about two feet each way and plant so that the stem of the vine is about fifteen inches away from the wall itself. Dig deeply and work in any compost that may be available and some builders' rubble if you can get some. A dusting of lime forked in will be helpful. Spread out the roots well and plant as recommended for fruit trees.

Having planted the vine, spread a little manure above the roots: this will not be necessary in subsequent seasons, but the vine will benefit from a mulch each spring if you can give it one.

Vines must not be allowed to fruit the first season; therefore they must be cut back to about four buds.

Having planted the vine and cut it back, we must decide how to train it to cover the wall.

The best plan is to use special wall nails, run wires to and from these and train the vine to the wires.

The four long growths that come from the four buds you left when cutting back are stopped at the bud nearest the growing point. These four leaders are the basis from which the vine will be built up to cover the wall. If flower buds form during the first season, they should be nipped off so that the vine uses its energy producing wood for subsequent fruiting. First-season fruiting often permanently weakens a vine.

When pruning, remem?ber that next year's fruit will be borne on the wood made this year. But we do not want masses of long, straggling growths hanging about all over the place, so during the summer it is best to cut some of them out. Those left to bear next year's fruit should be cut back to five or six buds in autumn or early winter. Only new growth should be cut during the summer; never cut old wood during summer - indeed old wood must never be cut after Christmas, as this can cause profuse bleeding which may be quite impossible to stop. By all means cut away some of the old growth to make way for new wood, but if this has not been done before Christmas leave it until the next winter.

Many varieties ripen in September - or earlier if the summer has been good. This is especially advantageous because the weather is still warm enough for a satisfactory fer?ment when you come to make the wine. This is not so important to those who carry out their fermentation in the house, but where it has to be carried on in a shed or outhouse the warm weather is a great help.

About The Author Brian Cook is a freelance writer whose articles on home wine making have appeared in print and on many websites. You can find more of these at: www.makinggreatwine.com

Wine Types



Decant old red wines to remove the sediment that has developed over the years. Before decanting an older wine be sure to stand it up for 6-12 hours so that the sediment settles to the bottom of the bottle. Decant just prior to serving and handle the wine very gently. Use a candle (or other good light shining up from beneath the bottle as you pour) to see when the sediment in the bottle starts to move into the neck. Stop pouring just prior to the sediment escaping from the bottle. If done properly, you�ll have less than an ounce left in the bottle and the decanted wine will be free of sediment. Dense reds from strong, maturing vintages (such as �82 Lafite-Rothschild) may want double-decanting.
Celebrate with champagne today!



Wine Yeast



Chill Champagne to approximately 45 degrees. Placing the bottle in a bucket with ice and water is ideal. Once the bottle is sufficiently chilled, cut around the bottle neck to cleanly remove the foil. Untwist the wire brace from the exposed neck and cover the cork with your thumb. Grip the cork with one hand as you slowly twist the bottle with the other. Ease the cork out as slowly as possible, releasing it with a hiss rather than a loud pop. While popping the cork may seem festive, it allows too much carbon dioxide and aroma to escape from the bottle. If the Champagne is not chilled enough, it will be very difficult to remove the cork without a violent expulsion. Place your thumb in the hollow (or punt) at the bottom of the bottle and support the bottle with your outstretched fingers. Pour the Champagne slowly into tall, flute-shaped glasses as not to create too much foam.
Try a new port tonight!



San Luis Obispo Current Events

Featured San Luis Obispo Event: Roll Out the Barrels Wine Passport Event. Experience Barrel Tasting with an exciting Silent Barrel Auction and moveable feast of wine tasting and gourmet foods known as our Passport" event. The weekend offers a Progressive Food and Wine Pairing and themed Winemakers Dinner. Purchase your passport ticket to travel the San Luis Wineries Festivities!

Monterey Current Events

Featured Monterey Event: Spring Winemaker Dinner at Chateau Julien Wine Estate. A bountiful Carmel Valley harvest of the finest local fare paired with limited release Estate Vineyard and Private Reserve wines acentuate the simple elegance and beauty of the Chateau this spring evening in the Valley. Barrel samplings and new releases selected by the Winemaker.