I’m not sure what clicked and started me down the path to planting a small vineyard on part of our five acres in Mint Hill NC. It’s a pretty big leap from drinking wine to growing grapes and making wine. I don’t know anything about growing grapes or making wine. I do know there are obstacles at every turn.
The site may not be suitable. The soil may be all wrong. There are pests, weather, disease, predators all waiting to spoil it all. And that’s before I ever get to the winemaking part. Undeterred by the prospect of near certain failure, I started planning and researching my little vineyard project in early fall of 2014.
One of the first publications I found online was a very nice volume published by the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Services. I quickly learned from the North Carolina Winegrape Grower’s Guide that our five acres are probably unsuitable for wine grapes. The line that separates suitable (Zone 2) from unsuitable (Zone 1) is about a mile north of our house. The legend on the map is pretty clear: “No vinifera…No Hybrids.” That pretty much takes care of the wine grape varieties. If “climate change” now means cooling rather than warming, I reasoned, that line may get pushed south one mile and give me a chance.
The fall was filled with lots of reading and research. Several excellent books moved me further along the way, and a handful of websites for grapevine nurseries introduced me to a whole new world of wine grapes beyond the traditional varieties. American grapes and (mostly) French hybrids offered options that might counter some of the obstacles in my grape growing future.
One evening while drinking a nice $40 Napa cab, I concluded that any winemaking effort by me would always fall short of the contents of that glass in my hand. Why try and make Cabernet Sauvignon when I can buy something this good for this price. Better to venture into the world of wine that I cannot readily buy, made from grapes that might stand some chance of survival in what was beginning to sound like a truly hostile environment. It was settled right there and then: I would plant a variety of grapes from all three types. Vinifera because, well, just because. American because they are more disease resistant. And hybrids because they offer some resistance to the my unfavorable conditions. Within the following few days, I settled on the following:
Vinifera
American
Persuaded by a hefty discount if I ordered before the end of the year, I took the leap and made my purchase by the deadline. This was well before I had addressed all the recommended fall preparation work or even decided where to locate the vineyard. I had several options, and was observing the potential sites on a regular basis to watch drainage, sunlight, access, soils, access to water and the like. I had until Spring to sort all this out and do my prep work.
The site may not be suitable. The soil may be all wrong. There are pests, weather, disease, predators all waiting to spoil it all. And that’s before I ever get to the winemaking part. Undeterred by the prospect of near certain failure, I started planning and researching my little vineyard project in early fall of 2014.
One of the first publications I found online was a very nice volume published by the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Services. I quickly learned from the North Carolina Winegrape Grower’s Guide that our five acres are probably unsuitable for wine grapes. The line that separates suitable (Zone 2) from unsuitable (Zone 1) is about a mile north of our house. The legend on the map is pretty clear: “No vinifera…No Hybrids.” That pretty much takes care of the wine grape varieties. If “climate change” now means cooling rather than warming, I reasoned, that line may get pushed south one mile and give me a chance.
The fall was filled with lots of reading and research. Several excellent books moved me further along the way, and a handful of websites for grapevine nurseries introduced me to a whole new world of wine grapes beyond the traditional varieties. American grapes and (mostly) French hybrids offered options that might counter some of the obstacles in my grape growing future.
One evening while drinking a nice $40 Napa cab, I concluded that any winemaking effort by me would always fall short of the contents of that glass in my hand. Why try and make Cabernet Sauvignon when I can buy something this good for this price. Better to venture into the world of wine that I cannot readily buy, made from grapes that might stand some chance of survival in what was beginning to sound like a truly hostile environment. It was settled right there and then: I would plant a variety of grapes from all three types. Vinifera because, well, just because. American because they are more disease resistant. And hybrids because they offer some resistance to the my unfavorable conditions. Within the following few days, I settled on the following:
Vinifera
- Cabernet Sauvignon—What would this effort be without the King?
- Zinfandel—I have a weakness for this grape and it’s possible American heritage. I always serve Zinfandel on Thanksgiving.
- Syrah—Probably my favorite wine.
- Viognier—Fits with Syrah
American
- Norton—AKA Cynthiana. My Friend Tom Dotson has talked about Norton for years. Called the Cabernet of the Ozarks, it is reputed to make a intense, dark wine. I put this on my list pending actually tasting it. This would lead to a trip to a winery in Virginia that offers a bottling of Norton in its line-up.
- Arandell—I was sold on this variety by the copy in the Double A Vineyards catalog.
- Baco Noir—I tasted this in Virginia
- Chambourcin—Also tasted in Virginia.
- St. Vincent—Like Arandell, good copy in the catalog. Hey, it’s an adventure.
- Chardonel—I needed a Chard of some sort
- Seyval Blanc—I can’t remember why.
Persuaded by a hefty discount if I ordered before the end of the year, I took the leap and made my purchase by the deadline. This was well before I had addressed all the recommended fall preparation work or even decided where to locate the vineyard. I had several options, and was observing the potential sites on a regular basis to watch drainage, sunlight, access, soils, access to water and the like. I had until Spring to sort all this out and do my prep work.
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