| Have you been thinking of making your own | | | | as it moves across the sky. Space the rows and |
| wine? You can buy the wine grapes in bulk, but if | | | | the vines about eight feet apart. |
| you have a little plot of land and the right climate, | | | | Plant them in deep holes, with lots of room for |
| you can learn how to grow grapes and harvest | | | | the roots to spread. Dig the soil fairly loosely for |
| them yourself. | | | | optimum drainage. Post three-wire trellises for the |
| Once you plant the vines, usually in early spring, it | | | | grapes to grow on. The lowest wire should be |
| takes about three years for them to bear fruit. | | | | about three feet high and the highest wire about |
| The Basic Necessities | | | | six feet high. |
| First, you'll need sun, and lots of it. That's why | | | | Tending The Vines |
| California has such an abundance of vineyards. On | | | | As the vine grows, and the shoots are around |
| the other hand, all that rain in Oregon hasn't | | | | ten inches long, tie the strongest shoot to the |
| seemed to hinder their booming Pinot Noir | | | | wire with a piece of string. Prune away any other |
| production. | | | | shoots coming out of the trunk or side. Once this |
| Next, your soil will need good drainage. A slope is | | | | strong shoot reaches the top wire, (probably the |
| best, as vines don't do well in standing water. | | | | second year) tie it there and prune all but a few |
| The third basic necessity is nutrient poor soil. For | | | | buds at each wire. |
| wine making, you want the grapes to stay small | | | | In the third year, you'll tie side shoots horizontally |
| and undernourished, because the more skin and | | | | along the wires on each side. There is much more |
| the less juice in the grape, the more flavorful the | | | | detail to pruning and training grapevines to the |
| wine is going to be. | | | | trellises, which can't fit into this article. |
| Combine a good slope with southern exposure for | | | | Time To Harvest |
| maximum sunlight, add a dollop of patience and | | | | The point at which you pick the grapes affects |
| you're off to a good start. | | | | the resulting wine. The grapes may look ripe, but |
| Choosing The Type Of Grape To Grow | | | | the sugar quantity may not be high enough for |
| This will depend a lot on the climate where you | | | | another week. If you wait too long however, the |
| live. Even in Napa, the type of grapes grown | | | | grape is spoilt. You want the seeds to be dark, no |
| varies between the hills, the valley, and the | | | | longer green. |
| Carneros area, which gets more bay breeze and | | | | Pick the grape clusters gently, and remove any |
| fog. Check with a local nursery or department of | | | | discolored or bad looking grapes. Wrap the grapes |
| agriculture or viticulture for the type of grapes | | | | loosely in plastic to retain moisture and refrigerate |
| that grow best in your locale. | | | | them at a temperature of around 35 degrees until |
| Vinifera grapes are the European style, but they | | | | use. |
| don't do well in extremely cold winters and are | | | | Grapes Into Wine |
| more susceptible to fungus diseases. Vitis labrusca | | | | The majority of what makes a good wine great |
| is a hardier, American grape and are frequently | | | | is in the grape. What the winemaker does with |
| used to make jelly and jam. For the United | | | | the grapes after harvesting certainly can affect |
| States, try to start with a French-American | | | | the wine for better or for worse, but it all starts |
| hybrid grape for best results of homegrown | | | | with the quality of the grape and the timing of |
| grapes. | | | | harvesting. |
| Ordering The Grape Cultivars | | | | The amount of grapes you need? About ten |
| In general, one vine will produce about five to ten | | | | pounds of grapes will produce a gallon of wine. |
| pounds of grapes for about a gallon of wine per | | | | About ten to twenty vines should produce a small |
| year, assuming all goes well. Potential hazards to | | | | batch of wine. |
| the vines include insects, frost, rot, birds, frost | | | | The Novice Vintner |
| and disease. | | | | Many factors intermingle to contribute to |
| Order your grapevines well in advance, planning | | | | successful grape growing. That's part of what |
| for them to arrive in early spring, so you can | | | | makes viticulture so exciting. The above advice |
| plant them right away. Use a nursery with a good | | | | isn't a guarantee that you'll produce a fine crop, |
| reputation. | | | | but it gives you an overview of what's involved. |
| Planting the Grapevines | | | | The two best things to do next are to get |
| When planting the rows of vines, run them north | | | | educated and start out small. |
| to south so that both sides of the plant get sun | | | | |