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So You Want to Know How to Grow Grapes?

It seems hard to find anyone who does not know what grapes are. They are grown across the world, and are enjoyed by most people. These morsels of juicy deliciousness are berries in the botanical sense. They grow in bunches with at least 6 individual fruits. Some varieties produce bunches numbering an astonishing 300 grapes!

Grapes can be grown for eating or for making wine. Table grapes are the ones for eating, and wine grapes are for making wine. Centuries of cultivation and study has led to the development of a specialized branch of plant science just for grapes. This special science is called viticulture, and it deals with everything about grapes. Breeds and varieties, soil composition and sun exposure, basically everything that has to do with how to grow grapes, falls under the umbrella of viticulture.

Before you ask how to grow grapes, you need to know exactly what you plan to do with the grapes. Will it be for making wine, or for eating? Both do follow the same step-by-step procedures for planting, but the specific requirements might change depending on what you plan to grow.

Table grapes need fertile soil with good drainage. This means that the proportion of clay to loam or sand must not be too high. Too much clay makes the soil retain a lot of water, which will cause the grapevine’s roots to rot. The amount of sunlight that the plant will receive is critical to the development of sugars in the fruits.

Start with planning your plantation or plot of land. The plot should receive a lot of sunlight. The plants should be about six feet apart to allow for growth. Check the soil. Is it fertile enough? Does it drain well? If not, add compost to it and loosen it before planting. After this, it is time to start building a trellis for the vine to cling on. It should be just tall enough to make picking easier. Make sure to choose wood that will not rot easily under the elements.

Only now can we begin the actual planting. Dig holes for the plants. The holes should be larger than what you need to plant the vines. This is because you want the soil to be loose when you put it back over the roots. Tie the strongest tendril to your trellis with string, not wire which can cause damage to the vine. Water your plants unless the rain is enough to keep them healthy. During the dormant season, prune the weakest or unhealthiest vines. This will improve the quality of the fruit.

When the vine starts producing fruit, it is time to prepare for the harvest. Picking grapes at the right time will ensure maximum sweetness and juiciness. A hydrometer will prove useful in determining the sugar content of your grapes and tell you when to start harvesting.

Wine grapes are more complicated. Each variety of grapes produces specific qualities in wine, and will also have different growing requirements. Regardless, the steps for how to grow grapes are the same. Plan your plantation, build your trellises, and plant your vines. Special techniques are applied to encourage the development of specific qualities in the grapes that will affect the wine.

If you seriously plan to grow wine grapes, it would be best to ask a viticulturist. They can tell you the different varieties and requirements, and how to grow grapes for wine making purposes. With all that being said, remember that grapes require time. You will need to be disciplined in setting up and taking care of your plants, but the end result will be worth every second and every drop of sweat.

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 surprising, 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, remember 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 ferment 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.

The term white wine does not necessarily refer to the color of the grapes used. White wine can be made from red or even very dark colored grapes. What is important is that the fleshy part which is clear in appearance is separated or has limited contact with the skin during juicing to ensure that a clear juice is produced.

Winemaking, also called vinification refers to the production of wines. There are three basic steps in winemaking: preparation, fermentation and maturation.

Preparation

Grapes are carefully picked from the vineyard. It is important that they are picked at the right age and at the right time, this ensures that the chemical composition of the fruit is in the right balance. Such factors contribute in t he production of a good wine.

After picking, the grapes are cleaned and checked for bruises. Bruised grapes are then set aside, they are no longer suitable to make wine. All skins, seeds and stems are removed before juicing. The result, a clear juice perfect for making white wine.

Fermentation

This is the process of adding live yeast to the juice. The yeast turns the sugar content of the juice into alcohol. Fermentation may last for three to four weeks.

Maturation

Also known as aging, this is the process of storing wine to further develop its flavor and aroma. Wines can be stored in barrels, steel vats or directly in bottles. The important thing is that wines are stored away from sunlight.

Whether white, red or rose wine; the dedication and patience exerted in its production is something which should truly be appreciated of a fine drink.

For hundreds of years, growing grapes for wine production has been a continuous endeavor that provides pleasure to all walks of life. Pairing the perfect white wine types with a multicourse meal adds an elegant touch. Or relaxing with a cool glass of wine and a simple snack is an enjoyment for any occasion.

Wine Producing Regions

Many countries produce wine for local consumption and for export. The best known regions with the largest distributions worldwide are in France, California, Italy and Australia. Spain and New Zealand have suitable climates for growing white wine grapes and distribute their wines on a smaller scale. In Greece, wine production has been a way of life since early civilization and continues today. Other European countries, for instance, Germany and Hungary produce regional varieties and export within Europe and overseas. South American countries, Argentina and Chile, for example, produce vast quantities of high quality wine.

In France, the regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Alsace are known for their white wine types of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Voignier and Sauvignon. The same varieties are grown in California in the Napa Valley and Sonoma Valleys and the Central Coast regions. Australia also produces these varieties as well as Semillon and Pinto Grig. Champagne is produced only in France, sparkling wine can be found in California, Italy and many other countries.

Germany produces the wine types Rieslings and Gewürztraminer. Hungarian wines include Chardonnays, Reislings and blended table wines. The wine regions of Spain produce excellent grapes suitable for custom blends and moderately priced table wines.

The Italians have extensive knowledge of wine making that has evolved through families for generations. In Italy, the regions from Sicily to Tuscany and Tyrol harbor age-old plantings that produce quality Pinot Grigio grapes.

Sweet Varieties

There are many variations of sweetness or tartness even within a particular type. A wine that is made from only one grape (not blended) is designated as a varietal wine. Typically, the sweeter varietals will always include Reislings. Occasionally, Gewürztraminer and Chenin Blanc can be sweet. Blended wines may have a sweet tendency depending on the grapes that are used. Sweet wines can be enjoyed alone or with cheese or fruit.

Dry Varieties

Usually Chardonnay is considered a dry white wine, although, there are many variations depending on the regional climate. Pinot Gris (or Pinot Grigio), Chenin Blanc and some vintages of Voignier tend to appear dry on the palette. Chardonnays are recommended with fish or poultry.

Dessert and Aperitif Wines

Sherry is a favorite aperitif wine that is often found in Spain. Apertif wines can be semi-sweet or dry and are served sparingly. Champagnes or sparkling wines are often served as an aperitif.
Dessert wines are by nature sweet and meant to be enjoyed by sipping from a small liquor or aperitif glass. Sauterne is a popular white dessert wine and Muscat also fits this category.

Choosing the best white wine types for a particular occasion depends on personal taste. There are abundant varieties to try.

Wine. Not what you do when you don’t get your way. What you drink with a fine meal. Well, maybe not what you drink, depending on your tastes, but what a lot of people drink. Some would say that there is nothing like a fine wine. So the question we’re going to try to answer in this article is just what IS a fine wine?

Well, there is basically red wine and white wine. And since it’s bad etiquette to mixed them together we’re going to concentrate on what are considered the finest white wines in this article.

Naturally there will be experts who will disagree when it comes to what the finest white wines are but the following list is a pretty safe bet with most people.

One of the most popular white wines today is Pinot Grigio. The wine comes from the Northeast region of Veneto and Friuli. The tastes of this wine range from melon to pear and some even offer a subtle tropical or citrus fruit, often there is a honey or smoky flavor component as well. As for color, Pinot Grigio is typically a pale, straw-like yellow with some golden hues thrown in to boot. This wine goes very well with seafood, light pastas and cheese cracker combinations. Since this wine is fairly acidic itself, avoid drinking it with foods that are high in acid concentration, like citrus fruits or tomato-based recipes.

Another very popular white wine is what they call a Chardonnay. There are many types of these wines. These are what they call “low maintenance” wines that adapt well to a variety of climates which means that quite a bit of this wine can be produced, usually in the millions of bottles per year. Because of this you can get a good Chardonnay for around $10. Some of the more popular Chardonnay wines are Jacob’s Creek, which goes great with chicken, veggies or shrimp, Eola Hills which is fine with grilled salmon or smoked tuna, Carmenet, which is wonderful with cheese, Round Hill, which is a great wine to have with pork and poultry and the list goes on and on.

Another very popular white wine is champagne. Yes, champagne is a white wine, just a very fancy one. There is a light taste and fizz to champagne that is unlike any other white wine. There is no denying that nothing tastes quite like champagne. That is why you will find this wine at the fanciest parties and gatherings and of course it is the drink of choice for New Year’s Eve. The best champagnes are very expensive. They are derived from a blend of grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. Champagne is considered a sparkling wine, due to the bubbles, which are formed during a second fermentation process. This second fermentation takes still wine and seals in the carbon dioxide that is formed when yeast converts sugar into alcohol, making for millions of bubbles with no place to go. The most expensive popular champagne of today is Deutz 1990 Cuvee William Brut at $215 a bottle. So if you’re going to drink a lot of champagne prepare a nice budget beforehand.

The above is only the tip of the iceberg of white wines but they are the most popular. In our next article we’ll see what red wines have to offer for our tastes.