10 replies to this topic

[North]

i am looking for merlot or cabernet grapes to make wine. or the vines i can plant in my backyardanyone?

[strangebrewer]

i am looking for merlot or cabernet grapes to make wine. or the vines i can plant in my backyardanyone?

You're a little early but nothing wrong with that B)For vines unless you've got a vineyard nearby that is willing to give out cuttings then you're only hope is the internet. Honestly I haven't looked to hard into how to get vines since it's a little cold in my area to be growing grapes.I get my grapes shipped in from CA on a refrigerated truck. They show up some time in September. Exactly when depends on the growing season. Do you have any LHBS's that specialize in wine making? Often they are a good place to start to ask questions if there is someone in the area that orders grapes in bulk. I work with a store here and we order by the tractor trailer load making it more cost effective. I know in Pittsburgh one of the big produce vendors used to do group buys you could get in on so if you have a big produce vendor in the area that sells to the public you could check with them too.Another source of grapes is the frozen pail suppliers. The big name in that business is Brehm Vineyards. Brehm has a reputation for providing a premium product but that also comes at a premium price. Another option since you are on the eastern side of the US is M&M Wine grape company. They are doing their own version that competes with Brehm. Their prices are a little less than Brehm too. I have not made wine from the frozen musts but I've read lots of good things about them.

[North]

The closest to Cleveland, that I know of, is The Grape and Granary, down in Akron. I'm not sure if they do fresh grape buys for locals. Give them a call, North.

I get all my gear from these guys! I usually purchase the 'kits' of wine. Never asked them about real grapes. I will give them a call! Thanks.

[zymot]

More beer sells some type of frozen grapes. I think they are pre-crushed. I know home wine makers that say the quality is very high.

[Deerslyr]

If you are interested in growing the vines, ask around at the nurseries to see if they can point you in a direction to buy some plants. But I suspect you will need a lot. There shouldn't be any worries about growing them as there are wineries/vineyards further north in the US than where you are located.

[zymot]

The old chestnut I hear is, "Making beer is a recipe and cooking process, making wine is an agriculture process." Meaning that most of how your wine turns out is determined at the point you pick the grapes.Growing your own grapes can be fun. I think it takes several seasons for the vines to mature and produce decent grapes that becomes decent wine. So you are talking about an investment. Expect it to take time and energy to make a decent bottle of wine.zymot

[strangebrewer]

The old chestnut I hear is, "Making beer is a recipe and cooking process, making wine is an agriculture process." Meaning that most of how your wine turns out is determined at the point you pick the grapes.Growing your own grapes can be fun. I think it takes several seasons for the vines to mature and produce decent grapes that becomes decent wine. So you are talking about an investment. Expect it to take time and energy to make a decent bottle of wine.zymot

Big +1. Anytime you are making anything from fruit, the quality of the fruit is the #1 factor that will decide the outcome. You'll never make great wine from mediocre grapes.

[Deerslyr]

The old chestnut I hear is, "Making beer is a recipe and cooking process, making wine is an agriculture process." Meaning that most of how your wine turns out is determined at the point you pick the grapes.Growing your own grapes can be fun. I think it takes several seasons for the vines to mature and produce decent grapes that becomes decent wine. So you are talking about an investment. Expect it to take time and energy to make a decent bottle of wine.zymot

Big +1. Anytime you are making anything from fruit, the quality of the fruit is the #1 factor that will decide the outcome. You'll never make great wine from mediocre grapes.

+1 to both of you. It is all true. No one had addressed growing his own vines, so I took a stab at it. It would definitely be a "labor of love" to get what he needs for a good wine. But, the point was more of a "they can be grown in your area if you want to try". That being said, grapevines in the summer add fantastic greenery to a landscaping plan in a yard. Not much too look at when you trim them back at the end of the year, but can make for a lush looking yard. So even if they don't pan out for wine making, they still have an annual function.

[North]

+1 to both of you. It is all true. No one had addressed growing his own vines, so I took a stab at it. It would definitely be a "labor of love" to get what he needs for a good wine. But, the point was more of a "they can be grown in your area if you want to try". That being said, grapevines in the summer add fantastic greenery to a landscaping plan in a yard. Not much too look at when you trim them back at the end of the year, but can make for a lush looking yard. So even if they don't pan out for wine making, they still have an annual function.

i have considered this. i dont know where to buy cabernet grape vines or merlot grape vines

[zymot]

+1 to both of you. It is all true. No one had addressed growing his own vines, so I took a stab at it. It would definitely be a "labor of love" to get what he needs for a good wine. But, the point was more of a "they can be grown in your area if you want to try". That being said, grapevines in the summer add fantastic greenery to a landscaping plan in a yard. Not much too look at when you trim them back at the end of the year, but can make for a lush looking yard. So even if they don't pan out for wine making, they still have an annual function.

+1 on the labor of love. Then I consider just the act home brewing (or wine making) the same way. Growing your own grapes or hops or what ever is just an extension of the act act of home brewing or home wine making. I am reminded of a story. Dan Listermann (of Listermann homebrew products) decided to grow his own barley and to malt it himself. He turned 100 lbs of seed into 50 pounds of malt, or something like that. Not even close to cost effective. But you become more intimate with the entire process and that is what it is all about.zymot

[BeesNBrews]

Source for the plants depends on how many you want. If you only need a few vines, the local garden centers should be able to provide you with Labrusca or hybrids. I would avoid the vinifera types as they tend to have more problems in our area--crown gall and cane dieback. If you are new to grape growing, viniferas are not the way to learn.If you want a lot of vines, I can point you to some good wholesale sources.I live over in Lorain county, just west of Cleveland.