Advise for Vineyard Establishment

Nobody needs to worry about me for competition, I have found that every single person that grows wine commercially or for themselves to be extremely helpful, open, friendly enthusiastic, encouraging, supportive and intellegent people with the exception of one person. thank you help!

That has been my experience also.

I talked to a few nurseries that will ship Traminette to WA, they suggested I try Cayuga and Seyval Blanc ...more whites I don't have a clue about. some of the Vineyard / Nurseries say its doesn't ripen before Chard, they were actually very unclear about the whole thing, saying it "ripens early september" knowing they are in MO or TN, and I am in WA and then I would ask well how does that compare to Pinot Gris or Chard and they would say "early september", I also found out that the Chard grown here is cl 76 which apparently ripens a week before other clones so Traminette might ripen at the same time but if it is more disease resistant and makes great wine I should give it a try. I think I am going to plant just couple vines each of Traminette, Pinot Gris, and Sieggerebbe to see how they grow, produce and ripen where I am. I guess I'll start drinking some white wine(woe is me). I am going to cut all my vines numbers down to enough for 20G batches before planting anything more.

as for now my new plan

5x7 spacing

35 Regent

35 Rondo 70 Pinot Noir 35 St L. 35 Zweigelt 35 Agria one row of various whites

Rambough says don't bother getting a soil analyasis and mulch the heck out of your planting sight, Jeff Cox says follow your soil analysis and don't mulch unless you have almost no organic matter.

Well, apparently the people that grow it , make wine from it here just dandy, just doesn't sell cause the locals buy the Siegerrebe and the average consumer rather buy Pinot Gris or Chard.

I worked at a vineyard that grew Gewurtraminer. This particular vineyard had problems growing it. It was prone to rot. One other vineyard I know that grows it claims it is not too much of a problem for them. They grow it on close spacing and cane prune. You can also grow it own rooted so it is easy to propagate

I like the bouquet and taste a lot better in Traminette and it produces very well with big clusters, good sugars and the grower I buy from about 10 miles from me does not have problems growing it. Of course, being in the humid and wet Mid Atlantic spraying is still necessary.

Well Paul, if you say the wine is better I am going to give Traminette a shot, see how it goes, that plus Siegerrebe and some Pinot Gris, Just curious where did you work that grew Gewurtaminer??

I worked at Windham Winery, now called Doukenie Winery

The winery that does not seem to have a problem growing Gewurtz is Elk Run Winery

Doukenie grew their Gewurtz on 6 foot spaced Cordon Spur pruned vines Elk grows theirs on 3 feet spaced cane pruned vines.

The trend around here now is short spacing and cane pruning.

The theory goes that the can pruned vines have less old wood for the fungi to overwinter. Some growers claim it has cut down their disease problems a LOT.

Thanks Paul !!!, it seems alot of growers in the puget sound cane prune as well...well in a few years I might be asking you for Traminette vinification tips!

It makes itself. The only thing I do that some others do not do is cold soak overnight with screw top plastic jugs partially filled with water and frozen and put in with the crushed grapes. ( Oh, to have a jacketed stainless tank ) I just do this overnight and press the next morning. I think it brings out a lot more aromatics. I even did this on Chardonnay this year and I seem to have gotten very good aromatics.