Portable Vineyard December 2013
Yesterday- rearranged the vines [nearly all] backyard Vineyard vines to line up down the side yard, and sulphur/insecticide sprayed them all for Xmas.
I was away the other month, they were not watered regularly so the harvest for the homemade wine won't be much as there is hardly many bunches formed, for all the pots, and will only get a few kilos this time.
Some are abundantly laden however, so that is nice.
The planted vines seem to be doing well too, plenty of rain fell while I was away.
Looks like I will be away again so will have to bribe the kids to look after the pots better, argh.
Anyway, that's the latest on the Portable Vineyard December 2013
Showing posts with label harvest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label harvest. Show all posts
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Portable Vineyard December 2013
Portable Vineyard December 2013
Yesterday- rearranged the vines [nearly all] backyard Vineyard vines to line up down the side yard, and sulphur/insecticide sprayed them all for Xmas.
I was away the other month, they were not watered regularly so the harvest for the homemade wine won't be much as there is hardly many bunches formed, for all the pots, and will only get a few kilos this time.
Some are abundantly laden however, so that is nice.
The planted vines seem to be doing well too, plenty of rain fell while I was away.
Looks like I will be away again so will have to bribe the kids to look after the pots better, argh.
Anyway, that's the latest on the Portable Vineyard December 2013
Yesterday- rearranged the vines [nearly all] backyard Vineyard vines to line up down the side yard, and sulphur/insecticide sprayed them all for Xmas.
I was away the other month, they were not watered regularly so the harvest for the homemade wine won't be much as there is hardly many bunches formed, for all the pots, and will only get a few kilos this time.
Some are abundantly laden however, so that is nice.
The planted vines seem to be doing well too, plenty of rain fell while I was away.
Looks like I will be away again so will have to bribe the kids to look after the pots better, argh.
Anyway, that's the latest on the Portable Vineyard December 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Vintage 2013
Portable Vineyard Vintage
Kids helped out with the Harvest for the Portable Vineyard Vintage this year, the pressing was a single handed affair.
result 7 liters of Pinot Noir and Shiraz blend- about 20-80%, and about 23 liters of the Foxey Garage Grapes
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Oh lala
2013 Vintage to start soon
Looking through the shrubbery, I was SURPRISED to see that verasion has been and gone in less than two weeks as far as the Shiraz and Pinot are concerned! I was going to post on that, but breen busy and lax.
Today I thought I better do a sugar level test and most of the varieties are at 15 Brix or about 8 Baum, getting there, close to what I want in my Portable Vineyard Backyard Wines- that is 12% Alcohol or better; that is, I need 22 Brix or better!
Vintage should be in less than two weeks if this is the case, end of February.
Today a large Carrawong(?), a crow sized native bird, bigger than a magpie, was scouting the vines for morning tea.... Not happy, may have to re-organise the whole yard, net the lot of them in one go rather than this poor attempt to keep them away.
Looking through the shrubbery, I was SURPRISED to see that verasion has been and gone in less than two weeks as far as the Shiraz and Pinot are concerned! I was going to post on that, but breen busy and lax.
Today I thought I better do a sugar level test and most of the varieties are at 15 Brix or about 8 Baum, getting there, close to what I want in my Portable Vineyard Backyard Wines- that is 12% Alcohol or better; that is, I need 22 Brix or better!
Vintage should be in less than two weeks if this is the case, end of February.
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| Shiraz |
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| Shiraz |
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| Pinot |
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| shiraz |
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| Shiraz |
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| Pinot |
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Vintage 2006
Shiraz Vintage 2006
Our Longford grapes Shiraz, the Hofford
My good friend Harry and I, made some red wine in 2006.
I have just opened a bottle of Vintage 2006 and it is ooh la la, beautiful!
The grapes were shiraz/syrah.
The vineyards are from across the river south of where I live, and grown in a combination of sands, gravels and marl, basically a 'limey' situation. The area was used for a gravel pit once upon a time. The sheep farm where the vineyard is based is above the marshes or morass at Lake Wellington. Cheers Vintage 2006!
The growers- Lyn and Harry Stephenson.
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| Looking north over Lyn and Harry's old yards at left, square shape, and to the mid right, diamond shape, from Google Earth |
Wine made from these grapes have won awards for vintners who were capable of paying two dollars a kilo. Yep- 2 grand a tonne! Harry and I of course were only doing wine making at home, of 100 and 50 kilos respectively.
In the early 2000's, so a story goes, a vintner from west Gippsland was interested in some Gippsland limestone country grown shiraz grapes [?] and gave Lyn and Harry tips on what he wanted if he was to be a primary customer. The vines were carefully tended, and cropped back to avoid over-cropping and reduce disease favourable conditions. A second vineyard was created in the actual gravel extraction areas. This idea is similar to the French winemakers and grape growers idea of limestone country, the terroir for growing Pinot Noir- limestone or marl.
That vintner won an award one year, and my friend Bob of Tuckers Vineyard who I worked for 2004-2008 also won a medal for his 2004 Shiraz. But guess what? I think mine and Harry's is far better. Sorry Bob
We selected and harvested our own grapes from the old vines. We took them back to a backyard- Harry's or mine, and processed the grapes. The next day, yeast was added. A week or so later, the lot was pressed, and the waiting began...
So every year a few bottles were enjoyed.
I think I have opened my last one. But shit a brick, it is NICE!
Cheers to a few people, chin chin Tarn, Harry, Bob
Friday, March 23, 2012
Vintage 2012
Almost Vintage 2012...
The Garage Foxey grapes: Are we ready?
The nice perfumey smell of the IMBY grape vines has deteriorated a little bit like a decaying smell around the garage grapes! Looks like the bees and butterflys are in there sucking that sweet syrup from MY grapes and leaving just husks behind. The birds have tried to get in under the netting to a small degree this year, but not a lot.
This is the usual time for harvest, going back to 1999 at least. The primary school has a Maypole and fete and my dad goes trout fishing at Eucumbene Dam with his brothers. I panic, worry and fumble around for the winery kit. Measure the sugar content, whinge about some diseases erupting in some bunches, scare off the ants.
Have to tidy the Alcoholery up, move "spare timber and stuff" A to B, and tools from B to C so I can move out the grape processing gear- crusher, press, SMS/PMS, buckets, vats and snippers... And power tools from C to D...
Not ready, or excited.
Only because, I suppose, my Shiraz crop failed completely due to mildew.
Anyway, there looks like a nice crop of garage grapes and maybe some Pinot Noir to throw in it. If it turns out okay, great, otherwise... Brandy or rum. At least a couple of bottles.
Should have a home made wine made by this time next week.
The Garage Foxey grapes: Are we ready?
The nice perfumey smell of the IMBY grape vines has deteriorated a little bit like a decaying smell around the garage grapes! Looks like the bees and butterflys are in there sucking that sweet syrup from MY grapes and leaving just husks behind. The birds have tried to get in under the netting to a small degree this year, but not a lot.
This is the usual time for harvest, going back to 1999 at least. The primary school has a Maypole and fete and my dad goes trout fishing at Eucumbene Dam with his brothers. I panic, worry and fumble around for the winery kit. Measure the sugar content, whinge about some diseases erupting in some bunches, scare off the ants.
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| Pinot Noir |
Not ready, or excited.
Only because, I suppose, my Shiraz crop failed completely due to mildew.
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| Foxey |
Should have a home made wine made by this time next week.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Rain, heck yeah.
Ah. But the green house..
Too much confidence?
The other week, you will recall, there was a lot of rain IMBY, all over the Portable Vineyard vines.
But I did not think of the poor old cuttings! The collection I spent so much time cultivating: weeding, spraying, watering, feeding the last 6 or so months, has ended up in the toilet.
With so much water falling freely the greenhouse denizens were completely forgotten about. Not ignored- that means you you know about it, but Forgotten about.
Oh dear. When I realised, oh crap. Really disappointed in me.
The Pinot Noir may have ONE survivor.
The Shiraz/Syrah in the shallow trays are Dead, but the ones in the pots will be fine. I think.
The rest of the vines are fine, sort of. I think that the garage grapes are nearly ready for harvest this week or next, and the Pinot Noir is too. The Shiraz group looks like it has been attacked again by mildew.
There is a small consolation in the "cemetery", a few sprouts have arisen from buried old cast offs, as it were. Voila:
In the next fortnight- Harvest 2012, blow by blow.
Too much confidence?
The other week, you will recall, there was a lot of rain IMBY, all over the Portable Vineyard vines.
But I did not think of the poor old cuttings! The collection I spent so much time cultivating: weeding, spraying, watering, feeding the last 6 or so months, has ended up in the toilet.
With so much water falling freely the greenhouse denizens were completely forgotten about. Not ignored- that means you you know about it, but Forgotten about.
Oh dear. When I realised, oh crap. Really disappointed in me.
The Pinot Noir may have ONE survivor.
In the next fortnight- Harvest 2012, blow by blow.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Closer to Harvest
late Summer
nearly Harvest time
The Brix on the backyard grape vines- the Pinot Noir grape bunches, nearly only A bunch... is at 16 to 20... So harvest time is almost upon us. The bunches are mostly small, with small berries. And not approaching sweet or nice even! The garage grapes are less than 20 overall, so maybe mid March for picking as usual,
The pots were netted last month because the birds thought it was the right time for Their Harvest, the buggers, but the kilo(!) or so they removed were not close to ripe, so HAHAHA hope they choked on the seeds- bitter as all heck and all. have to net that little bit earlier next year.
I do not think it maybe worth making a brew with the crop, it looks like only a few kilograms this year- sort of like last years crop- which I threw in with the Shiraz anyway. It will probably get mixed in with the garage grapes to make either a sherry style or brandy type drink.
The Brix on the backyard grape vines- the Pinot Noir grape bunches, nearly only A bunch... is at 16 to 20... So harvest time is almost upon us. The bunches are mostly small, with small berries. And not approaching sweet or nice even! The garage grapes are less than 20 overall, so maybe mid March for picking as usual,
The pots were netted last month because the birds thought it was the right time for Their Harvest, the buggers, but the kilo(!) or so they removed were not close to ripe, so HAHAHA hope they choked on the seeds- bitter as all heck and all. have to net that little bit earlier next year.I do not think it maybe worth making a brew with the crop, it looks like only a few kilograms this year- sort of like last years crop- which I threw in with the Shiraz anyway. It will probably get mixed in with the garage grapes to make either a sherry style or brandy type drink.
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