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Existing grape vine questions


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#1 Glacies

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Posted 28 April 2014 - 11:10 AM

I'm not sure how to explain this well, but I recently discovered that the house we're renting has an adjacent lot that is included in our contract. Among other wondrous finds the landlord mentioned that her "silly" father used to make his own wine with the grape vines in the back. I took a look and sure enough, there are a bunch of trellises and grapes growing there. The landlord doesn't know what kind of grapes these are, and the house has not been lived in, or the property kept up, in about a year or two.

 

So.... what do I do?

 

How do I identify?

 

I make wine from the kits, but never from scratch. Any good resources?

...and I found the FAQ.

 

But that still leaves vine upkeep and identification. 



#2 armagh

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Posted 28 April 2014 - 01:12 PM

I'd lay money they are in the muscadine family, maybe scuppernongs or something close.  IIRC you're in the mid-Atlantic and any muscadine will do well there.  There is a surfeit of material available free online about how to train vines, just depends on the set-up.  Local agricultural agent could doubtless help with identification once they leaf out.  Jack Keller's website on making "country" wines will be your friend.



#3 HokieTrismegistus

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Posted 29 April 2014 - 10:57 AM

I'm not sure how to explain this well, but I recently discovered that the house we're renting has an adjacent lot that is included in our contract. Among other wondrous finds the landlord mentioned that her "silly" father used to make his own wine with the grape vines in the back. I took a look and sure enough, there are a bunch of trellises and grapes growing there. The landlord doesn't know what kind of grapes these are, and the house has not been lived in, or the property kept up, in about a year or two.

 

So.... what do I do?

 

How do I identify?

 

I make wine from the kits, but never from scratch. Any good resources?

...and I found the FAQ.

 

But that still leaves vine upkeep and identification. 

 

I say let them get to the fruiting stage and you'll know.  I have my money on Muscadine/Scuppernongs. Their latin name is Vitis Rotundifolia, meaning they have round leaves.  The other big thing with these grapes is that they don't produce in bunches or clusters like Vitis vinifera.  They just put grapes out all over the vine. 

 

Let's see... other than that, you could have Concords:

Posted Image

 

Catawbas:

Posted Image

 

Norton also origintated in VA:

Posted Image

 

Aside from that, growers didn't seem to have much luck from what I can tell making wine with vinifera varieties (merlot, cab, etc)  in VA till the 70's.



#4 Genesee Ted

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Posted 04 May 2014 - 07:53 PM

If he distillation were legal, I would suggest using them for that. But it's not so try out some wine


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