Topic: Grape-Growing

With ongoing drought concerns in many wine-growing regions, the practice of deficit irrigation is gaining traction, not only for using less water but also for producing higher-quality wine grapes. Learn about two winemakers’ experience with this technique.

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 like and some pointers to get going in the right direction.

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 factors that need to be considered when establishing a vineyard and irrigation needs.

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 tips every wine grape grower should be thinking about to get the best berries from their vines.

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, what type of wine grapes you are going to grow, and then finally what trellis system will best support those vines.

For anyone who plans on creating a small-to-moderate-sized backyard vineyard, this column should be mandatory reading. Because the best advice one can receive is to spend a lot of extra time in the planning stage, which will save an exponential amount of time later.

Vineyard netting is often critical to protect your grapes from birds and other predators; however, applying and removing it can be a real pain. Here is a solution for home winemakers with a utility vehicle that allows netting to mostly be installed by just one person without the net ever touching the ground.

The reader letters have been piling up, so Wes decides it’s come that time again to pick up the pen and share some of the most useful questions (and his answers) that readers have sent to him over the past year regarding backyard viticulture.

Hey, it happens to me too. But fear not, we’re going to impart some information that’ll give you the confidence to pick even if you don’t know the Brix number. Many winemakers

Many thanks to you for being a WineMaker magazine reader! We love being a source of helpfulness in the sometimes difficult-to-navigate world that is international small-scale winemaking. Uneven vineyard ripening is indeed

Not every harvest is going to be perfect. When the grapes come in at less than ideal numbers or with other “flaws,” make sure you’re well positioned and able to make the best of an inferior harvest. Plus, learn how to identify what went wrong in the vineyard so the same mistakes aren’t repeated in future vintages.

Two attendees of the Backyard Grape Growing Online Boot Camp
had some follow-up questions; one on their spray protocol, the other about coming back from a devastating loss of vines. Wes dishes out some advice.

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 healthy. Wes found such a hobby vineyard and decided to interview the green thumb.

The final days leading up to your grape harvest can be anxiety-ridden for most hobbyists . . . and even for professionals. Get pointers on how to properly plan and execute a professional-style harvest.

That is so great to hear that you’ll be planting a vineyard. Welcome to the great Sonoma County viticulture adventure! My company has vineyards in Sonoma too and I’ve been making wine

Determining your soil type can tell anyone growing grapes a lot about the conditions under which your vine’s root system will develop and grow. It can tell you how much you should irrigate or about your potential fertilization schedule. Learn how to determine where your vineyard’s soil type lands on the USDA’s soil-type triangle.

The summer and fall are when most of the action happens in the vineyard as leaves are thinned and grapes ripen on their journey to be turned into wine. But none of

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 sprayer to save time and effort while executing your spray program.

So you have decided to elevate your hobby to the point of growing your own fruit for winemaking? This is a huge step that should not be taken lightly. Once you plant

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 can purchase grapevines and/or supplies for your home vineyard…

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 viticulturists. He also answers some reader questions.

It’s been a few years since we’ve run a Backyard Vines Q&A. Wes Hagen answers several hobby vineyardists’ questions. Learn about tackling black rot, sunburnt grapes, and hedging vines.

It is not lost on the well-informed winegrower/winemaker that fungi — ancient, single-cell organisms that have been on this planet hundreds of millions of years longer than humans — are our best

Want to plant grapevines, but not necessarily enough to warrant a full-scale trellis and all the work and expense that goes along with it? Here are two alternative DIY projects for small-scale vineyards.

For viticulturalists, the time between budbreak and bloom is often a time to let the vines do their thing. But Wes Hagen explains that a little maintenance and care in this growth phase can save grape growers lots of time and hassle later in the year.