Topic: Grape-Growing
Best Practices: Mythic vines make for mythic wines
MEMBERS ONLYHave 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 Top Twelve Tips: Bringing the fruit in right
MEMBERS ONLYThe 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.
Vineyard Planning
MEMBERS ONLYThat 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
Dirt Don’t Lie: The impact of soil on vineyards and wine
FREEDetermining 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.
Spring Vineyard Care: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYThe 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
Build a Better Sprayer
FREEAfter several years of spraying my 1⁄3-acre vineyard with a backpack sprayer, I had to find another way. I needed to design a sprayer that I could build myself using inexpensive parts
Devise a Home Vineyard Spray Program
MEMBERS ONLYSo 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
2020 Backyard Vine Directory
FREEGrow 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…
Vineyard Challenges: A new decade, a new vintage!
MEMBERS ONLYAs 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.
Back To School: Q&A with Professor Hagen
MEMBERS ONLYIt’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.
Pressure in the Home Vineyard: How to measure and mitigate fungal disease
MEMBERS ONLYAll photos courtesy of Shutterstock.com 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
Grape Halos (DIY Grape Growing Stakes)
FREEWant 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.
Vine Budbreak: Early season tips
MEMBERS ONLYFor 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.
2019 Backyard Vine Directory
FREEGrow 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…
Vineyard Management Review
MEMBERS ONLYAre you ready for some viticultural self-reflection? When harvest is wrapping up, there is no better time to reflect on what you have done right in your vineyard and factors you could improve upon for next year.
Wes’ Post-Harvest Quiz
FREEHarvest/Post Harvest Quiz: With Pro-Inspired Conceptual Cheat-Sheets Mark your answers and keep a running score in the margins. There will be a discussion of point totals at the end of the article.
Frequently Asked Questions
MEMBERS ONLYQ & A Q Post Harvest Well, the growing season down here was hot and furious and I can’t believe it, but all of my backyard Zinfandel vines survived all the bugs
Harvest and Beyond
MEMBERS ONLYRipeness & Wine Style As harvest nears and the grapes are getting ripe, we growers need to start making some decisions concerning the style of wine we want to create. The wine
Vineyard Maintenance
MEMBERS ONLYPruning Your Backyard Vineyard Pruning grape vines during dormancy is a vital practice for keeping your vines in balance. Grape growers discovered thousands of years ago that cutting off up to 90
Spring In The Vineyard
MEMBERS ONLYChoosing A Rootstock There was a time when grapevine vineyards were planted with only 18” (46-cm) cuttings from existing grapevines. A few buds went under the ground and few buds were left
Starting Your Own Vineyard
MEMBERS ONLYBuying Vineyard Land A high percentage of my consulting business comes from wine lovers wanting to buy vineyard property. The story is usually the same: about ten years from retirement, successful in
Annual Vineyard Growing Calendar
MEMBERS ONLYIn college I had a good friend from New Jersey who was convinced that Californians lacked depth of character because we didn’t have to live through harsh winters. Even though I disagree
First Year Vineyard Care
MEMBERS ONLYPlanting a vineyard takes time, effort and planning. But your work is not over once the vines are in the ground. In order to have usable grapes by your third year, you’ll
Choosing a Trellis System For Your Vineyard
MEMBERS ONLYIn the wild, Vitis vinifera sylvestris (the forest vine that makes wine) cannot support itself as it grows. By understanding the needs of a wild vine, it will quickly become apparent why
Planning your Backyard Vineyard
MEMBERS ONLYPlanting a home vineyard is a serious project that requires study, planning, a willingness to do agricultural labor and perhaps a small streak of insanity that comes with reaching a certain level