Article

Sampling for Ripeness

Harvest timing is the most important decision a winemaker will make, which means collecting accurate samples to base the decision on is crit

Article

Vegetative Growth Cycle in the Vineyard

Spring and summer is a time of great growth for your vines. Be prepared this year, as Wes Hagen shares what you need to be doing during your

Article

Innovative Wine Products

Pro winemaker Maureen Macdonald shares some of her favorite enological and viticultural products available to home winemakers and grape grow

Article

Evaluating Young Wines

During a relatively slow period in the vineyard, now is a perfect time to start planning for the upcoming growing season. Tasting wines from

Article

Trellising Explained

The ideal trellis system for one wine grower may not be the same for another. Learn about the most common trellis systems home winemakers ma

Article

Vintage Postmortem

With harvest behind us and our wines safely fermenting or in bulk storage, it’s time to reflect on the past year’s struggles and triumph

Article

Vineyard Canopy Management

Summer in the vineyard means it is time to manage your vines’ canopy. Spraying, suckering, leaf removal, adjusting lateral shoots, and eve

Article

Mastering Pest Management

The hardest part of growing grapes may be keeping them healthy and on the vine until harvest. From fungal diseases to insect and animal cont

Article

Backyard Pruning: Tips from the Pros

Two amateurs who have won Best of Show medals for their estate-grown wines share advice for late-winter pruning and vineyard care.

Article

Pruning and Spring Care

After harvest is over may seem like a great time for the home viticulturist to sit back and take a deep breath. Just don’t take too long o

Article

Fall/Winter Tips in the Vineyard

Fall is the most critical time in the vineyard. Preparing for and executing harvest are paramount. So is the cleanup and vineyard care after

Article

Master the Backyard Harvest

Wes Hagen lays out last-minute advice to maximize this make-or-break day as home viticulturists gear up for harvest.

Article

Summer Care in the Vineyard

The summer is a critical time in the home vineyard. Wes Hagen shares the physiological needs of mature vines in the summer and lays out a sc

Article

Winter Chills

When a harsh cold snap occurs in the middle of winter, there is little a grape grower can do in the moment . . . it’s all about being prep

Article

Irrigation systems and strategies

Not all wine grape growers need to irrigate, but for those that do there are options available. Get a primer on what those strategies look l

Article

Water Works: Assessing irrigation needs

Not every location needs to irrigate their vines every year, but for those that do, advanced planning is key. Here is a walk through the fa

Article

Viticulture Tips

The 2023 growing season is just around the corner and it’s time to think about ways to improve your viticultural practices. Here are 10 ti

Article

Trellising And Choosing Vines: Designing a modern backyard vineyard

Once you have your site selected, soil figured out, as well as irrigation; it’s time to start planning things like row and vine spacing, w

Article

DIY Netting Applicator

Vineyard netting is often critical to protect your grapes from birds and other predators; however, applying and removing it can be a real pa

Article

Best Practices: Mythic vines make for mythic wines

Have you ever visited a vineyard and wondered, “How did they do that?!” You know the place, where all the vines seem to be in sync and h

Article

Spring Vineyard Care: Tips from the Pros

Article

Build a Better Sprayer

When your home vineyard grows to a certain size a hand-held or backpack sprayer just won’t cut it. Use these plans to build a tow-behind spr

Article

Devise a Home Vineyard Spray Program

To grow the best fruit, vintners need to protect their precious crops from disease and pests. Doing so requires an active spray program. Get

Article

2020 Backyard Vine Directory

Grow your own grapes? Thinking of starting a backyard vineyard? Now is the time to plan your spring. Here is a list of suppliers where you c

Article

Vineyard Challenges: A new decade, a new vintage!

As we move into a new decade, Wes Hagen thought it prudent to lay out some of the latest and greatest gadgets and technology for viticulturi