Grapes for winemaking

[Primrose]

I was hoping to pick our Reisling grapes today for some small scale winemaking but despite the recent Indian Summerm they'restill too acid so I'll leave them a little longer. Are there any winemakers out there who can suggest how late I dare leave them before picking in the hope they will sweeten up a little? In previous years they would normally have been picked by now and I don't imagine they will withstand frost.

[Tony Hague]

You could wait till they freeze and try making your own Icewine

[yummyveggies]

I was advised by the wine makers at Three Choirs in Gloucestershire that they will not be picking their Seyval Blanc until at least 20th October ... so I should think you will be at least until then.
Just keep an eye on any botrytis and make a decision based on rot vs sugar ...
My Seyval Blanc were around the 55 - 58 oe mark on Monday - hence the advice from the winery to hold off picking ..

[Primrose]

thanks yummy veggies. I'll follow the experts. Could you post when you decide to pick yours, just to give me a guide?

[PLUMPUDDING]

I've been waiting a bit longer for my Madeleine Angevine to ripen more and when I went to check them yesterday found them crawling with wasps. They've eaten half the fruits, so I don't know if they are worth picking now.

[Colin_M]

Could you post when you decide to pick yours, just to give me a guide?

I'm afraid that as you've found, the best test is to pick the odd one or two to see what they taste like. If they are really sharp, they're not really ready and will need quite a bit of sugar when using for wine. If they taste good, that's a good omen.

We made some in 2006 that was *really* sharp forthe first year after fermenting. I actually added a small amount of chalk to try & neutralise the acid and topped up with honey for several rackings. After 2 years, this wine is now turning into something quite good, so a bit of acidity may not be terminal.

Finally, I've found that if you don't do this tests, the birds will. In previous years, I've waited and waited and....suddenly whole bunches disappeared! Netting is the only answer to that.

[Primrose]

I picked our grapes last week-end and after leaving them on the pulp for two days, have now added the yeast. Fermenting nicely so far in our warm kitchen.