The Saga of my Sprayer

 I haven't listed all of the 2022 wines. I should have planted 7 rows of Itasca. It makes a beautiful wine that smells like honey, honeysuckle, fothergilla blossoms. The 2022 version actually required the addition of acid. The Foch is sacrificial and is dying anyway. I didn't get the netting on the Frontenac in time to prevent complete critter loss. Traminette is not our favorite, I didn't bother harvesting. Jury is out on Frontenac gris - I made the wine but it is very unremarkable. La Crescent is a slight improvement on the Frontenac. 

The grape with the greatest potential (in terms of yield and taste) is still the Vidal. Unfortunately we just couldn't get the Vidal to the finish line. It ripens unevenly. And it sustained significant leave discoloration and leave drop before the grapes ripened. Last year spraying the grapes took an hour or more, and I still never got good coverage.  I was convinced the Vidal was diseased. Sure, it could have been nutrient stress or water stress, but for this post, let's focus on the possibility that disease slowed the ripening, and the sprayer trouble is the root cause.

I went out today for the first spray of the year, and I had no mist at all. It was time to dig into this problem and fix it once and for all. This sprayer has been trouble from the beginning. Bolts and nuts falling off, hoses coming loose, shoulder straps wearing out. The troubleshooting of the most recent problem started proximally and worked distally. The tank looked fine. The hose was clear. The nozzle was the problem. When I got it off I found the issue.

No air flowed through that nozzle. I picked at it and pulled out this:

This is silicone caulk from the tank. The caulk in the tank is a mess, and bits have gradually come loose and found their way down into the nozzle. The good news is that this easy to find and remove. 

I left a 1-star review on Amazon. Hoping now that we get the Vidal ripe in 2023.

Silicone caulk in the tank.

2023 Spray Schedule

4/23/2023    Mancozeb

5/6/2023    Mancozeb + Quintec

5/13/2023    Abound

5/24/2023    Mancozeb + Endura

6/8/2023        Mancozeb + Quintec

6/22/2023    Abound + Sevin

6/29/2023    Captan + Endura + Sevin

7/12/2023    Captan + Quintec + Sevin

7/22/2023    Abound + Sevin

8/6/2023    Immunox + Prophyt

Greenhouse Disaster

I can describe this only after seeing signs of recovery on most of the victims. We had a relay fail in the greenhouse. The exhaust fan is powered through a relay, and the relay operates with a signal from the climate controller. The controller was sending a signal but the relay failed to close and the exhaust fan didn't come on for a couple of days. This happened to correspond to a day on which I didn't water because clouds and rain were expected but which turned out sunny. Basically everything in the greenhouse got put under the broiler. It took me 10 minutes to fix it but the damage was done. 

I moved everything possible out of the greenhouse and under some shade. The garcinias, now about 10 years old and grown from see from PR, died back variable degrees - one back all the way to the lowest lateral branch. I took the opportunity to repot some of them and I'm happy to say that the cherimoyas, sapodillas, sugar apples, and lychees look no worse for the wear. There is new vertical growth on the garcinias. I'll post some new pictures when everything goes back inside this fall. 

Harvest Begins

 

We've started harvesting grapes. The back row of Frontenac and Foch was a complete critter loss. I still have a little Chambourcin so there is still hope of making some red wine this year, but there won't be much.

Like last year, our approach has been "let them hang." We got the first three grapes to the point where no sugar will be needed. Itasca came out first on 8/9, on the right above. We'll get two gallons, so double last year. La Crescent came out 8/13, left above, closer to 6 gallons. And Frontenac Gris came out 8/21, around 3 gallons.  Vidal is buttoned up tight, and we probably won't pick it until we get back from the Chalet after Labor day. 

Dancing Man v2.0

 Last year we were caught off-guard. Itasca ripens very early and the critters got most of the crop last year before we got any netting up. It was picked at 1.104, pH 2.8, no adjustments, but fermented cool. My best wine yet. This year, birds have just now started to get some grapes, so on 7/17 Lisa and I started putting the netting up. We netted and closed up the La Crescent and Itasca. 

We also netted the back two rows: Foch, Frontenac, Traminette, and Frontenac Gris. These rows are a mess to be honest. I thought I had pruned them hard, but evidently they need more pruning and shoot pruning in particular. They are extremely vigorous and I'm not sure we'll be able to seal them up like we did with the Itasca and La Crescent. We had a really hard time getting the netting over the vines and it only comes about half-way down. Note to self - prune and shoot prune the Foch, Traminette, and Frontenac very hard. 

Woodland Surprise

 This fellow showed up a couple of years ago. In past years the deer ate it before we got any blooms. 

PictureThis plant identifier tells us that it is broad-leaved helleborine, Epipactis helleborine. It is a common woodland orchid whose range extends into Missouri. It is also known as Bastard helleborine and Poor man's lady slipper, both of which I prefer to the common name found in Wikipedia, "weed orchid." This year it bloomed.

Greenhouse Rebuild

 Several pieces of the raised beds in the greenhouse rotted over the last few years. The would used was treated, but 18 years of water and humidity take their toll.

So with my friend Shawn here for the Memorial Day weekend and willing to tackle a project, we finally took care of this longstanding issue. Many of the screws could not be backed out so we just broke them off. We had to move some dirt around as well. But the project probably went as well as could be expected. I still have 10 bags of topsoil with which to top up the beds. 

Haskap Season

 The haskap harvest is short and sweet. And sour. This year we tried haskap pie. The berries are juicy and so the first piece is somewhat...watery. But it's very tasty. 

• 4 cups haskaps
• 1T lemon juice
• 4t corn starch
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1 egg white
• 2 frozen pie crusts, thawed. 

Mix well. Place most of it in a pie crust (it all won’t fit). 
Wet the edge, then cover with the second pie crust and crimp the edges. 

Slice ventilation holes in the top crust. 

Apply the egg white wash. 

Bake 50 min at 375F.

The leftover filling can make a couple of single serving ramekin crumbles. 

2022 Spray Schedule

 5/8/2022 - Mancozeb

5/30/2022 - Abound

6/4/2022 - Mancozeb + Emerald (half tank)

6/15/2022 - Mancozeb + Emerald (half tank)

6/26/2022 - Mancozeb + Quintec + Sevin

7/4/2022 - Abound + Sevin (half tank)

7/7/2022 - Abound + Sevin (half tank)

7/21/2022 - Captan + Emerald + Sevin

2021 Wines - Chapter 5 - Chambourcin

 The 2020 Chambourcin was probably my best red wine to date. It has good flavor and great color retention. It may be a little bit over-oaked, but I expect it to age fairly well.

So the same approach was taken to the limited 2021 crop. The vines have crown gall and so I only have 3-4 left. Those that are left are heavy producers. Picked 9/22, at 1.080, TA 12, pH 2.86. I crushed and destemmed 9/24, then adjusted with 1T calcium carbonate to pH 3.14 and 500g sugar to 1.090. Opti Red/Booster Blanc/Avante/VP41 coinnoculation. I pressed 5 gallons on 9/29. By 10/23 the test strips read zero malic. I let it go another few weeks before SO2 to be safe. 

I've not decided whether to barrel this wine just yet. It's just aging quietly. My "hands off" winemaking approach is either wisdom or laziness. 

2021 Wines - Chapter 4 - Vidal

Last year's 2020 Vidal is not bad, but not notable. So I "spiked" it with some 2019 Vidal that was over-tweaked with citrus and I also added a hint of passion fruit. I have the feeling that none of that would be necessary if I let it hang longer, But Vidal for me is troublesome. They occupy two rows in the vineyard, but I get about 10 vines worth of grapes. I have to net the entire thing because the vines that are doing well are so spread out. I'd love it if I could let these hang to 1.100 and 3.00. Nope, not this year. 2021 Vidal was picked 9/11 at 1.080, TA 13, pH 2.62. I didn't record any acid adjustments but it's entirely possible, even likely, that I made some. Sugar was added to bump the SG to 1.090. Opti White/Booster Blanc/Allegra and room temperature ferment had us down to 1.000 by 9/22. 8 gallons, not counting the Vignoles coferment. I haven't made a really awesome Vidal wine yet, and given the pick numbers I have some doubts that 2021 will be exceptional. Maybe a blender with the Vignoles. 

2021 Wines - Chapter 3 - Vignoles

We were again invited to the Books' vineyard to pick up some late Vignoles. The grapes came in at 1.104, pH 3.08, and TA 12. I elected to cool ferment unadjusted. As with all of the wine this year, I used a Renaissance yeast, Allergro, along with Opti White and Booster Blanc and the usual nutrient protocol over 8 gallons. The yeast was pitched 9/12. By 9/29 it was 1.045, and by 10/16, after a month, it was 1.010 and came out of the fridge. A week later the two carboys were 1.000 and 1.005. It still tastes pretty sweet to me, but we'll sur lie age it and see how dry it is in a few months. If still too sweet, I've got a good blender. 

I also tried a co-ferment with 50% Vignoles, 50% Vidal, but didn't have room in the fridge for this one. It required no adjustments, usual additives and nutrition, and went fast. 

2021 Wines - Chapter 2 - Frontenac

My Frontenac wines, with the exception of the Frontenac Gris, to date have been disappointing. Maybe persistence will pay off. I double netted the back row of the vineyard and still lost practically all of the Foch. But the benefit was that Foch and Frontenac sat on the vines much longer than in years past. I picked around the first of September (failed to note the date) in order to make a Frontenac that is also 8% Foch. I pitched a Renaissance yeast, Avante, on 9/4. No adjustments were made to the must at 1.102, 3.05. Booster Rouge, Opti Red, coinnoculation with VP41, and by 9/9/it was down to 1.000 and I pressed 6 gallons. On 9/12 I racked and added Uva Tan 1.5g/gal to see if we can make this wine color-fast. It's now aging and I'm considering skipping the barrels and only lightly oaking with some cubes. The wine has the usual Frontenac cherry flavor which I'm not wild about but maybe we can make a go of it this year. 

2021 Wines - Chapter 1 - Itasca

 This grape ripens really early. By the time I got around to netting it, critters had taken half. I wound up with 1 gallon worth of juice after picking 8/10. I went with Allegro, a Renaissance yeast that doesn't make H2S. These grapes were whole cluster pressed, with initial readings of 1.104, 8.8, 2.8. No adjustments, cold settled, racked, Opti White and Booster Blanc at usual doses, then into the refrigerator for a cool ferment. This fermentation was made possible by my new Inkbird controller.

I bounced it around between 13-15C. Finally at 1.014 on 9/3 it came out of the fridge. I racked on 9/25 and hopefully it has finished up. Aromas of honey and honeysuckle. Could be a nice wine.

Summer Summary

It's been a busy summer. The COVID dominos fall every which way. But it is time to post some happenings because harvest is here and the wine is already being made. 

We like to see one new fruit every year and this year it is Pitomba (Eugenia luschnathiana). The fruit is the size of a cherry, texture of an apricot, but aromatic and moderately sweet. Hoping for more than one next year. 

Just before Jake's graduation from medical school we hosted him and two friends at the chalet. We went out on the big lake and brought back a decent haul of fish. I've never been a fan of lake trout frozen, then thawed and cooked in the usual way but I found a terrific smoked lake trout recipe which is delicious. 

The greenhouse is at least half empty and production has been variable. We had a good crop of jaboticabas, but the dragon fruit has disappointed. We did get a couple of softball sized dragon fruit that made a delicious dragon fruit salsa. 

In the vineyard, I replanted 5 Frontenac gris, 10 Itasca, and 10 LaCrescent. From the 2020 vintage, the Chambourcin is terrific, by far the best dry red grape wine I've ever made. It was eye opening for me because I almost didn't pick the fruit. I let it hang a long time, long enough that no adjustments to the must were needed. It seems that letting the fruit hang is, well, kind of important. That lesson has been remembered this year, as you will later see. 

Lisa got me a drone for my birthday.

We took the drone to the chalet for Sharon and Bob's 60th anniversary party 

Itasca, Foch, and Frontenac are out of the vineyard and so far, no adjustments needed on any of them. Vidal will start coming out tomorrow. 

2021 Spray Schedule

 5/2/2021 - Mancozeb

5/21/2021 - Mancozeb + Quintec

5/31/2021 - Abound

6/6/2021 - Mancozeb + Endura

6/11/2021 - Mancozeb + Quintec

6/20/2021 - Abound

6/27/2021 - Mancozeb + Stature + Sevin

7/9/2021 - Mancozeb + Quintec + Sevin

7/21/21 - Mancozeb + Stature + Sevin

Plants Outbound

 We're sending Allie and Adam some greenhouse plants. Allie is not a huge fan of Hoyas, but we got some barely rooted so she can try them out. Bilbergia nutans 'Domingo Marten' is a nice one, we hope she likes it. 

Adam gets 20# of goodies, including Musa 'Dwarf Namwah', the Bilbergia, Alocasia 'California', and large divisions of Heliconia 'Fire and Ice'. 

At home, the spring pruning is complete, including the grapes. Help is on the way next weekend, we're spreading twelve scoops of mulch. 

Winter Wine Work

One of the most pleasant winemaking surprises so far has been the 2019 Frontenac. I had low expectations for this wine. Previous harvests have shown Frontenac to be color unstable and the Frontenac rosé from 2018 is bad enough I've got it in the dump pile. I put 4 gallons of 2019 Frontenac red wine in a barrel last February and have more or less kept it topped up. Four months ago I was ready to dump this wine as well - it was not color-stable, it was thin, and I was concerned it might be oxidized. Fast forward to today, and this wine is pretty darn good. Color somehow is improved and taste-wise it has smoothed out very nicely. I needed the barrel for 2020 wines, so I just went ahead and bottled 2 cases today. 

Additionally, I racked another 7 gallons of Vidal after a month of cold stabilization. I continue to keep separate 4 different batches of the enormous harvest. The last 5 gallons of "less ripe" Vidal went into the fridge to cold stabilize today. Chambourcin went into a 15l barrel with just under 5 gallons left. The plan there is 6 months of barrel aging for each half of the batch. The 2020 Frontenac went in the other 15l barrel. The Foch will go into the 10l barrel once it seals up.

The basement has been a disaster for some time, and we finally got around to cleaning it up. This meant assembling a wine rack. It doesn't hold every bottle but holds some of everything we drink. Lisa got some nice dry erase bottle labels.

2020 Wines - Chapter 6 - Chambourcin

It is with some sadness that we're making this batch of wine. We had high hopes for Norton and Chambourcin in the vineyard, but both varietals have been decimated with crown gall and I'm not optimistic that we'll get fruit again next year. We took about 120# of Chambourcin this year and we'll end up with about 9 gallons from it. 

My record-keeping has been terrible with this batch. I wrote everything down but I lost my notes, thus the late post. I do remember the the starting numbers were great. I didn't adjust pH and made minimal adjustment to sugar - or maybe it was the other way around, minimal pH adjustment, no sugar adjustment. Anyway, either way, these grapes came in better than any others I've grown. 71B to work down the malic, and VP41 for the MLB, co-inoculated. I pressed it off into 3 3gallon carboys plus almost another gallon. After a couple of days racked off gross lees and added 7 oak cubes per gallon to finish up. Great color on this wine, hopes are high. 

2020 Wines - Chapter 5 - Vidal

 This year we harvested about 400# of Vidal. We attempted to separate less ripe from more ripe fruit. We ended up with 15.3g from ripe fruit, 4g mixed with Frontenac Gris (giving it a darker color), and 4g of less ripe fruit. We cold settled the wine and one bucket came out dark, I believe that to be due to my failure to get KMS in the bucket. So I segregated that bucket as well, and any thoughts I had of using my 110l Speidel variable capacity tank were tossed aside. In the ripe, gris, less ripe batches, respectively, we got pH 2.88, 2.88, 2.86; pH was adjusted with 2t, 1t, 1.5t of calcium carbonate, respectively, to final pH of 2.97, 2.95, and 2.99. I fermented with QA23 again, along with the usual Booster Blanc and Opti White doses, and bentonite day 3. 

Given the number of buckets and size of batch, we couldn't really drop the temps much and it pretty much ripped through in a week. And again, like last year, got a reductive. I hit it early with a bench-trialed dose of 25ppm. It's cold stabilizing now, one carboy at a time. It will need fining, each carboy is not clearing well. Total is 22 gallons, we'll see if we end up bottling all of it.