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.

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

New Wine and More

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. Th...


Click Here to Read More About Wine ...

New Wine Items For Viewing

The FTD Shining Sunlight Basket - Standard


A festival of yellow lilies, sunflowers and daisies are accented with graceful white and purple blooms. A celebration in a basket. B22-3273S


Price: 90.99 USD



Headlines on New Wine

Two Buzzards In A Tree...

Fri, 31 Oct 08 13:00:48 -0700
The Jungle is harvested, the compost piles and the worm bins are full. Everything that could be put into jars or bottles or freezer bags is safely tucked away until we need to call upon their services for some future meal. The winter crops are growing nicely and the cloches are in place making the Jungle look more like a futuristic bubble city. Now what... What do The Shibaguyz do when there just isn't anything else to do right now?? It was last Saturday that Jason and I sat there looking at

New Chef, Wine Expert Added to Bedford Springs Resort to Autumn Wine/Food Extravaganza with Bon Appetit (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)

Fri, 31 Oct 08 12:34:00 -0700
Bedford Springs Resort has added a second guest chef, wine expert and several new vendors to the already impressive line-up of the inaugural Autumn Wine and Food Extravaganza. The culinary event, featuring Bon Appétit and signature recipes from the popular culinary magazine's chef de cuisine Jonathan Lindenauer, will take place Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 9 at this luxurious ...

Spice announces new partnership

Fri, 31 Oct 08 12:19:33 -0700
Around this time last Halloween, my wife and I went to a Blue Jackets game, then went to Spice after the game. Being lame, I thought the whole area was dead considering it was Halloween. Then my wife reminded me that it was only 9 pm, and things don’t heat up until much later. Gosh I thought, am I that out of touch with the night life? Apparently, yes. But I did have a great time at Spice. The food and drinks were excellent. So there’s my lead in, to the following Press Release that I just go

Daily Digest: Fighting for the Future of the Online Right

Fri, 31 Oct 08 10:16:03 -0700
The Web on the Candidates The Next Generation Right Roots: The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini has created a stir. Patrick's arguing that right rooters, or members of the conservative online class, need to quit trying to be the next George Will and focus on producing more and better Karl Roves. Less punditry, says Patrick, and more activism, with all that that entails -- strategizing, messaging, and shaking the coin cup for candidates on occasion. After some blowback, Patrick tried to clarify h

A Love Story

Fri, 31 Oct 08 08:57:57 -0700
A Love Story By Alice Feiring “Amateur winemakers die treading grapes.” No, that wasn’t about me, but the headline of a Decanter.com article on Oct. 23 about two unfortunate men in the Ardeche region of France. It happens every year. The dangerous carbon dioxide released while sugar is converting to alcohol — the initial fermentation — can take the pros as well as the amateurs. As a precaution, when working with deep tanks some people wear harnesses, to make it easier to be rescued. And

Chrome Browser for MAC and Linux

Fri, 31 Oct 08 06:04:48 -0700
CrossOver Chromium is a Mac and Linux port of the open source Chromium web browser. CrossOver Chromium is available for download from CodeWeavers, free of charge. It is an open-source browser project that aims to build a safer, faster, and more stable way for all Internet users to experience the web. The Chromium codebase is the basis for Google’s Chrome browser. CrossOver Chromium was developed using CodeWeavers’ Wine development expertise. Wine is an open source technology allowing

The Chronicle Wine Selections: Ribera del Duero (San Francisco Chronicle)

Fri, 31 Oct 08 00:27:06 -0700
Tempranillo - one of Spain's important red grape varieties - is the most produced wine in Ribera del Duero, where it is also called Tinto Fino and occasionally Tinta del Pais. Officially established in 1982, the Ribera del Duero appellation is north of Madrid...


Linux Users
Wine Recipe | Wine Recipes

Labels: Vintage Charts

&type=page">