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

Another short Beginner Wine review

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 ...

Beginner Wine Items For Viewing

Beerenauslese Cuvee


Friends of Dessert Wines! We have found an outstanding 1998 Beerenauslese Cuvee in Burgenland Austria. This is one of the BEST I have tasted in my 30 years in the business. Herr Landauer is a new source in Burgenland, the world famous wine village of rust-Austria. The family has owned the winery since 1650. We are honored to introduce their wines. Beerenaulese is made from grapes harvested very late in the season; they have started to shrivel in the vine, producing pure grape nectar when the grapes are pressed. Serve ice cold. Buy this great gift online! AWBCS598 (500ml bottle) AWBCS598


Price: 49.95 USD



Current Beginner Wine News

Summer stunners (Perth Now)

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:00:00 -0800
With summer drinking in mind, I tasted a range of semillon sauvignon blanc blends, dominated in quality terms by Western Australia and, with some rare exceptions, Margaret River.

Seasons part 2

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0800
Identifying the seasonsWe know what natural seasons are, but how do we apply that to our own lives? Let's take a closer look at each of the seasons.In thinking of which season to describe first, I came across a 'chicken and the egg' scenario. Each season leads into the next. Each season depends on the others. In Western culture, we usually list spring first, when giving a list of the seasons. Meanwhile our calendar year begins in the middle of a different season. However, my rudimentary analysi

A Friend Stopped by with this Biker...

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:41:00 -0800
The other night our friend John stopped by to drop-off the 2005 Elio Grasso Barbera d'Alba he had picked up for us. This was intended for another time; to go with an Italian meal of some sort to be sure. But he also brought along a nice surpise for immediate sampling, the 2006 Four Vines Biker Zinfandel. We'd enjoyed a Four Vines tasting dinner last year at Summer Winter, so he knew we wouldn't take too much convincing to share a glass of the Biker.The Biker is a big, lush, fruit forward wine. T

Sample The Delights Of Nearby Benidorm

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:21:44 -0800
by Peter Mason Denia is an intriguing place to spend a vacation. Wouldn’t it be fun to spend your vacation in this city that is at once historical and modern? Denia is located at the base of the Montgo hills and was once home to the Greeks, the Romans and the Arabs. It was even the capital of the Caliph of Cordoba. When the Moors were defeated, Denia was too. Do you know what saved it? The raisin. Denia rose again when it discovered the English people loved its raisins. The raisin is no longe

This is a gentle family comedy wasteland

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:38:10 -0800
In a way, it is to be admired that the BBC constantly tries to do it. We tend to get them here as it is safe telly. The better NZ comedies tend to be a bit more rough around the edges. When it's good, it's excellent - Flight of the Conchords, Wayne Anderson and Outrageous Fortune. When family comedy is tried, it tends to fall short. There was a primetime sitcom (the life and times of Te Tutu) based around the time of the British arrival in NZ and how the officers and Maori interracted. It wa

Toast to Argentina in summer (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:15:18 -0800
There’s no better time than January to celebrate the height of summer. Oh sure, we may still be thawing out after last week’s deep-freeze, but in Argentina, it’s summertime. When it was hitting 14 degrees below zero in Fort Wayne, it was 87 in Buenos Aires.

Taking In The Sights Of Old Sacramento By Limo

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:40:18 -0800
Topics: Sacramento Limousine, Sacramento Limos, Sacramento Wine ToursSacramento is the capital of the State of California and is increasingly becoming one of the favored tourist destinations in the west. The most attractive prospect of a visit to Sacramento is the old quarter of the city, popularly known as Old Sacramento. It is a place where you can experience the Wild West, and is one of the few places where this old heritage is conserved in an amazing manner that gives you the feel of steppin


Wine Types
Wine Caddy

Labels: Champagne Wine | Chardonnay Grape

&type=page">