Growing grapes and making wine in Bellevue
Posted in viticulture on Apr 28th, 2008
Do grape vines know what they’re doing?
Left to themselves, grapevines will push out more clusters of fruit than they can ripen well. Making wine from such grapes will be disappointing: not enough sugar, poor flavor, too much acid. The problem is that a given vine can only pull in a finite amount of nutrients through […]
Posted in competitions and events on Apr 24th, 2008
Lots of people ship their own wine via carriers like DHL, FedEx, and UPS. The national and international home winemaking competitions couldn’t exist without all the entries that were shipped. But its something that’s always had me confused and a little nervous. Part of the confusion is that I’ve heard so many different accounts of […]
Posted in viticulture on Apr 21st, 2008
This grape growing season, here in the Puget Sound, is off to a slow start. Most vine growth will occur with warmer temperatures in the summer, so the cool weather we’re seeing right now might not affect this year’s crop. Still, it’s got me thinking about making up for lost time - managing the vines […]
Posted in winemaking on Apr 15th, 2008
Wine from Welch’s grape juice
Its tax day in the US, and this year taxes made me busier and grumpier than normal. With all that behind me, I’m starting to feel like my old self. So when Welch’s concentrated grape juice went on sale the other day, I bought twelve cans to make a “Tax Day […]
Posted in winemaking on Apr 14th, 2008
I just received this very impressive sample kit from the Oak Solutions Group. There’s a lot to experiment with: different types of oak, in different forms, with different levels of toast. I hope to be trying it all out, and writing about it, over the next year. To get one for yourself, follow this link, […]
Posted in storage and aging on Apr 9th, 2008
The wine has fermented out, been racked, and is patiently aging in the basement. The winemaker, on the other hand, is not so patient. It isn’t brilliantly clear, but its flavor and aroma he’s interested in, so he bottles. The trouble with this approach is that a wine that isn’t clear has something in suspension, […]
Posted in climate & weather, gardening on Apr 3rd, 2008
The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center has an explanation for cool weather I noticed in March. When the eastern Pacific Ocean cools, called La Nina, it affects local climates in predictable ways. Here in Washington State it brings cool, wet weather. Since the CPC expects La Nina to continue into April, it looks like […]
Posted in climate & weather, gardening on Apr 2nd, 2008
This is not what I expect my backyard to look like in Spring! I start paying close attention to the weather this time of year, because I’m starting my garden and a lot of what I grow will end up in a primary fermenter. How’s the weather looking thus far? It felt cold to me […]