Tag Archive for: grape growing

Harvest 2023

time to pick the chardonnay grapes!

July 9, 2023

The first harvest is set!  We will pick the chardonnay grapes on Monday morning, July 17 starting at 6:30 am.

Wear comfortable, cool clothing and tennis shoes. You’ll want to bring a hat, sunscreen, water, and bug spray. We’ll provide everything else you need. We will start bright and early at sunrise but most folks come about 7am or later and go until all the grapes are picked, usually about 9 or 10 am.

After harvest in the morning, our grapes will be de-stemmed and crushed and prepared for fermentation at the winery. Feel free to come by our location at 841 N Main St, Salado and see the grapes start their journey to a bottle of wine.

RSVPs/Tickets are not required, but if you register, then we have an easy way to contact you if anything changes. Check out facebook page if there is unexpected weather or updates.

Pets must be leashed. There are cows, horses, and donkeys in adjacent fields and they will bite dogs.

We have been growing grapes since 2005! The vineyard is located at 21724 Hill Rd, Salado, TX 76571.  This venue is only a vineyard, it is generally closed to the public except during harvest. This location does not sell or serve wine.  For more information call (254) 947-8011, or visit Salado Winery, 841 N Main ST, Salado TX, 12 pm -6 pm.

Harvest events are published on our eventbrite page for the vineyard and updates are published on our facebook page

Bird Netting 2023

One thing we have struggled with over the last few years is birds!  I used to think there were birds who ate bugs and birds who ate seeds and that I would only have to worry about a few species who like grapes, but it turns out almost every bird eats grapes!  Well, I guess I’ve never seen raptors or vultures swoop down and grab a snack, but I have definitely seen all other birds grab a grapes or worse, stab a grape to get to the seed.  One time I posted on social media a cute picture of a little bird nest with sweet eggs and pretty grapes in the background.  Someone responded with, “oh let them be, they’ll only eat a few grapes…”.  NO, they don’t eat a few grapes.  First the mockingbirds show up, then the cardinals.  When the rest of the birds in the neighborhood see the cardinals and mockingbirds, then they all descend.

So we have been netting the vineyard for years.  Unfortunately, the method we used in the past wasn’t working out anymore.  The netting was now being shipped on cardboard tubes that were too small to fit our custom net applicator.  Plus the netting was not a perfect solution.  The birds hung on the nets and poked the grapes through the netting.  So only grapes in the interior were actually safe. On top of that, the netting was disposable, but that didn’t seem very regenerative and clearly that’s the buzzword of the day.  (Make sure you have a cynical tone of voice when reading the word ‘regenerative’)

I browsed the options at the TWGGA trade show.  I studied pictures and I started thinking about how last summer, the bees & wasps were bothering folks even in the dark when we started harvest at 5 am.  Hmmmm, could we really protect the fruit from the wasps?

I hemmed and hawed and looked at the endless internet. I was intrigued about the bee netting, but it is expensive! This blog post convinced me I needed to make an experiment. Finally, I ordered  a roll of bee netting from Orchard Valley Supply.

I have been so pleased!  I ordered one roll and saw immediately that it stopped the bugs.  There happened to be a sale, so a couple days after applying the first roll, I ordered 3 more rolls.  This was enough to cover about 40% of the vineyard.  I will order more next year.  The rolls and shipping are relatively expensive, but these nets look like they will last a long time.  Now I just have to figure out where to store the nets in the off season.

netting is shipped in a roll and easy to roll out

netting is 17′ x 300′

side view

one way I might secure the bottoms

a frog is deterred by the bee netting!

sorry charlie! you’re not getting in

no grapes for you!

yet another grasshopper trying to find some food

even this tiny snail didn’t find a way in

vineyard panorama

bird sitting on the netting and can’t get grapes

End of roll-will pack it up this way after harvest

this picture shows how I secured the sides at the end posts

I’m pretty happy with my new netting!

Vineyard mid-April 2023

Wow!  Nothing like 2 inches of rain to make the grapevines grow.

The chardonnay vines are beginning to bloom.  Wine grape blossoms are nothing like beautiful cherry blossoms.  If you look very closely though, you can identify the pistil which is located in the center of the flower and shaped like a bowling ball.  The pistil is made up of three parts: the stigma, style, and ovary.  That is surrounded by anthers and filaments.  The pollen develops on the anther.  Wine grapes are self-pollinating, so they don’t need the help of insects to spread the pollen.

I hope you enjoy my picture!

chardonnay flowers

chardonnay flowers before forming fruit

Spring Pruning 2023

Spring has sprung!

cabernet sauvignon shoot in early spring

Cabernet Sauvignon
on March 27, 2023

And you know what? It has already been a roller coaster my friends!  Eeek!

First of all, the grapevines started growing about 2 weeks earlier than is normal.  We hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the 3rd week of February, so the grapevines took that as their signal to GROW!  Bud break began, but the weather was too hot and the grapevines showed evidence of “cupping” from the heat and the warm wind.  The leaves were malformed and the vines looked terrible.

After a couple weeks, they outgrew the first missteps, but then we had a freeze nearby on the morning of March 19th. Many of my friends’ vineyards in the area suffered widespread freeze damage.  🙁

But now here we are, already a month of growth in the chardonnay, and the outlook is improving.  Please keep your fingers crossed!

This vineyard was planted in 2005 and has produced over 50 tons of grapes since then.

Chardonnay + Sangiovese Harvest 2018

Saturday, July 28, 7:00 am

21724 Hill Road, Salado (I-35 exit 275, head east on Hill Road, look for vineyard on the right)

Make your Instagram friends super jealous! Come pick grapes with us at the vineyard at 21724 Hill Road, Salado, TX! You can even eat some straight from the vine! Harvest is family friendly. Wear comfortable, cool clothing and tennis shoes. You’ll want to bring a hat, sunscreen, water, and bug spray. We’ll provide everything else you need. We will start bright and early at 7am and go until all the grapes are picked.

Hecho en Queso will be at the vineyard offereing breakfast tacos for sale.

After harvest in the morning, you can join us at the winery to watch grape processing. Our grapes will be de-stemmed and crushed using a machine then pressed and prepared for fermentation.

This will be the first half of the 2018 harvest at our vineyard.  The cabernet sauvignon + merlot harvest will be scheduled in August.

 

Cabernet Sauvignon Harvest 2016

One last chance this year to harvest grapes! Our Cabernet Sauvignon harvest will be Saturday, September 3.

How to Get There
The vineyard is at 21724 Hill Road, Salado, TX, 76571. Exit 279 I-35 and we’re just a quarter mile up Hill Road on the east side of I-35. The vineyard is on the right side of Hill Road. You’ll see the vines from the road!

What to Bring
We will start bright and early at 7 am and go until all the grapes are picked, usually before noon. Wear comfortable, cool clothing. You’ll want to bring a hat, sunscreen, bug spray, and lots of water to start with. We’ll provide everything else you need, including more cold water. If you have a favorite pair of pruners feel free to bring them, but we’ll have plenty for you. We recommend tennis shoes because sometimes there is stinging nettle or a hidden ant mound but you can wear sandals if you like. Sometimes folks like to wear light cotton gloves to protect your manicure or help prevent wasp stings, but there are no thorns on grape vines. Harvest is family friendly, so feel free to bring the kiddos…#Wineryboy has been picking grapes since he was 1!

The After Party
After harvest in the morning, you can join us at the winery to watch grape processing. The grapes will be de-stemmed and crushed using a machine then prepared for fermentation.

RSVP
If you’re coming, text your RSVP to 254.466.5813 or RSVP on Facebook.

FOOD!
Our friends at Hecho en Queso will be out at the vineyard until 10:30 or 11 the morning of Cab Sauv harvest, September 3. They’ll be serving up breakfast tacos and more, so make sure to come ready to eat!

Halfway through Harvest 2016!

watch out! it is going over!

watch out! it is going over!

Hey there, I wanted to give you a quick report of how things are going around here.  I don’t have long–if you look closely at that picture, you’ll see that malbec there is about to “boil over” and ferment right on out of that barrel!

This week I’ve got 1.5 tons of malbec fermenting from Temple, TX and .75 tons of merlot from our Salado vineyard fermenting.  We have already fermented the chardonnay, sangiovese and tempranillo.

So what’s left?  CABERNET SAUVINGNON!  Next weekend, Saturday, August 20, our friends at 3 Texans Vineyard will harvest their cab.  Follow the link and give them a holler if you would like to harvest grapes with them.  They are near Temple, Texas.

I haven’t even scheduled the harvest of our cab yet.  The weather is calling for a bit cooler temperatures, so hopefully that will help the plants ripen those grapes some more.  I will let you know soon, but probably harvest August 27 or September 3, 2016.

Well, that’s all for now, I’ve got some punching to do!

Cabernet Sauvignon Harvest–August 22

is that YOU in the big hat, picking grapes?

is that YOU in the big hat, picking grapes?

Saturday, August 22nd at 7:00 am, this is the last bunch for the 2015 season, and we welcome you to join us! The vineyard is at 21724 Hill Road, Salado, TX, 76571.

Wear sunscreen, bug spray and a big hat. If you have a favorite pair of pruners then bring them, but we’ll have plenty for you. Dress for heat, but be prepared for anything. I recommend shoes and socks because sometimes there is pigweed that stings or a hidden ant mound and I prefer a little protection for my toesies, but you can wear sandals if you like. Sometimes folks like to wear light cotton gloves, that might help prevent wasp stings, but there are no thorns, so gloves not required.

Families are welcome, the work isn’t hard, just the heat can be a bit discouraging. We will pick until all grapes are harvested, usually around 11 or 12 noon.

If you’re coming, text your RSVP to 254.466.5813, and I will let you know if the plan changes. Otherwise, see you there!

Then join us in the afternoon at the winery to witness the last crush of the season.  The cab sauv grapes will be destemmed, crushed and then I’ll add some yeast and let them start the fermentation.  The air conditioning is set to “cold” and this is the best time of the year to come check it all out.

Harvest will (probably) continue Saturday, August 22, 2015

notice the sprinkling of green grapes

notice the sprinkling of green grapes

The most important wine making decision is “when to harvest?”

At this point we have harvested 75% of the vineyard.  All that remains is the cabernet sauvingnon.  I went out and took a random sample yesterday, and what did I get?  Well, by the #’s, it looks fantastic!  Brix 24 degrees and pH 3.76, woohoo!

But, the truth is that about 15% of the grapes are still green, and that is no good for the quality wine we make at Salado Winery.  The photo with this post was taken on August 12, 2015.  The weather is not going to change much in the next 10 days, so?

So when will it be ready?  Well I am hoping for Saturday the 22nd.  I am trying to keep an eye on the pH, which will rise quickly, because I don’t want it to go sky-high.

I had this problem in 2013, and I compensated for a little under ripeness by blending with the 2012.  Another common technique is to use delestage to remove green seeds before they add any stringency.

Check back for an update next week!

April 2015 in the Vineyard

look at these Mommy!

look at these Mommy!

Me and my helper, #wineryboy are keeping a close eye on the grapes as they develop this spring.  We have received plenty of rain, so the vines are growing like crazy.  The grapes are just tiny little balls, preparing to bloom.  In another week or two, they will be tiny blossoms. Domesticated grapes self-pollinate, so if the bees are on vacation, no big deal.  This is not true for wild mustang grapes which have a male and a female plant which have to be nearby for pollination to happen.

The biggest salvo that Mother Nature can throw at me right now is in the form of mildew.  I refer constantly to the chart at winegrapes.tamu.edu to keep up-to-date with a good fungicide program.  The next biggest threat is springtime hail.  There is nothing we can do for that, so we hold our breath and gulp our wine when the skies get dark.

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