The quality of the grapes you put into wine are the greatest determinant of the quality of the wine produced. In short, doing a good job of growing grapes is the key to producing fine wine.
It All Starts With The Location
The initial step to grape planting is planning. The most important planning phase for growing grapes that are of good quality is choosing the right spot. One of the keys to a great area is a lot of sunlight, spread evenly across the grapevine. This allows your grapes to fill with natural sugars, which will be important for the output of alcohol during fermentation.
Choosing good soil is another important aspect of location choice. Your soil should not have stagnant water. So your soil should drain very well. It is important to dig your planting holes deep so that the soil will be loosened for good drainage. Also, avoid the typical mistake of using fertilizers for your soil. You shouldn't make use of fertilizers at all, as these will only help the weeds. Compost must be used only when even weeds don't grow in the soil. Wine grapes need to be small, so it is vital to keep soil nutrients to a minimum.
Your vines must be planted at least 6 feet separately. If you intend to have a sizable vineyard, 8 feet apart is a better choice. If you do your grape planting correctly, one healthy grapevine can produce a gallon of wine. Then again, even if you do all the things correctly, there is the chance of losing part of your grape crop to disease, bugs, as well as birds. This is a good reason to do more grape planting than seems necessary.
Keys on Growing Grapes
Needless to say, grape clusters are very heavy and hang from vines. So these vines are going to need to have a trellis to grow around and use for support. Throughout the first year of growth you will need to choose the strongest shoot from every vine to strap to the trellis for direction and support. String or another soft material is a much better choice than wire for tying, as wire can damage the shoot. The weaker shoots should be clipped. During inactive growth periods, you will need to prune the vines as well. When the vines start growing again, typically during the spring, pick the strongest new vines out of the shoot to gently tie to the wires. These will be the vines that hold the grape clusters that will be used to make wine.
Harvesting Your Grapes
A hydrometer can help you with harvest period. A wine making store might carry a hydrometer. It is going to be used to test the gravity levels of a liquid. The basic idea is that you want to check for the proper sugar content of your grapes before harvesting them. Typically, a gravity of approximately 1.105 is ideal, though it can be as low as 1.095 and still be okay for harvesting.
It may take years for your hard work in grape planting to pay off, but it will be worth your effort when it does.
