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Harvesting grapes

I bought a new house this spring, and it came with some grape vines! :)

I'm a complete newbie, but I've been reading, and reading, and reading. I've got plenty to learn, but figure this is a good excuse, and great time to get into winemaking.

Since this is my first year, and I've only got one vine, I'm only expecting to make about a gallon of wine. Not a lot, but it's a start, and I'm excited! :)

I think my grapes are ready to harvest, but my equipment isn't here yet. Will a week hurt them? :( This week our weather rapidly changed from 100F+ to 69F, with lows in the 50s. I'm worried about my grapes. Should they be picked, then kept in a freezer or refridgerator? I don't know what to do!

It's probably best to leave them on the vine until I can test their numbers, right?

Cheers, Will

Reply to
Will Hutton
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Excuse me for jumping into this thread but I was wondering if anyone used the methods in "From Vines to Wines" by Cox. He says you can determine ripeness by multiplying pH squared by the Brix. A white wine will be near

200 and for reds 260. (page 104-105) I know that determining ripeness has to do with more than just numbers and a lot of winemakers depend on their taste buds and look at seeds and chew skins but this seems like a reasonable method for those of us who lack a refined sense of taste. pH and Brix are easily measured and are not subject to the judgement factor when trying to determine color change when titrating red juice to get TA numbers.
Reply to
Paul E. Lehmann

Wow! I have that book, and have read it cover to cover, but didn't catch that. I must have been glazing over when I got to that part. Thanks! Lets see if if works on my grapes: PH = 3.17 SG 0f 1.088 or Brix of 22.3 PH (squared) = 10.05 x 22.3 (brix) = 224.09 Yep, should have waited a bit!

I really like this method to see when you're getting close. It's alot easier to check PH than TA.

Reply to
StarrFarms1

Thad,

You're very lucky, living where you do -- and not just from a winemaking perspective! My wife and I spent 26 months in Portland (until 16 months ago) and we love Oregon and the its people!

Your Foch doesn't sound that bad, but yes, a bit acidic. You could see if any local Italian markets are selling central CA valley grapes right now -- they are typically all low acid / high sugar and you could probably find something very cheap that you could blend the Foch with.

Enjoy the Pinots!!

Richard

Reply to
Richard Kovach

Reply to
Randall Hamilton

Will,

If you want my opinion , I'd leave them. A nice cool ripening period is good for them. 100F is TOO hot. Actually, 80-85 is the best temerature for grapes as it gets hotter the grapes lose varietal charecteristics. Lows in the 50's are great and as long as you keep an eye out for the first frost don't sweat it. I'd recommend getting a refractometer ( about $130) and a Ph meter if your thinking about getting in grapegrowing.

Bob

Reply to
bob

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