by Rick Dunst, Viticulturist, Double A Vineyards, Inc.

Now that harvest is over and winter is approaching, the staff at Double A Vineyards is starting to get a lot of phone calls and e-mails from our customers asking for assistance in selecting appropriate varieties to grow on their sites.  While many of our customers know exactly what they want, others are just getting started at growing grapes and may not know which varieties are best suited for their vineyard location.  Grape varieties differ in their tolerance to winter low temperatures; they bud out in the spring at different times, making them more or less susceptible to spring frost; and, they require a certain amount of heat units and length of growing season to fully ripen at a given location.  Knowing the limitations of your site is largely a matter of personal experience (and that of your neighbors), and our catalog and website contain a wealth of information that can help you decide on a grapevine variety suited to your site. Read More »

by Rick Dunst, Viticulturist

As the 2011 growing season comes to an end, we all know what comes next - winter. In areas where extreme cold temperature or temperature drops occur, winter protection of grapevines may be necessary. By their nature, grafted vines are most susceptible to winter injury, particularly at the graft union. Own-rooted vines are also susceptible to winter injury if temperatures exceed their level of winter hardiness. This article is intended primarily for growers of grafted vines where sub-zero (Fahrenheit) temperatures are likely or possible, but the cane burial techniques discussed can also be used with Read More »

by Rick Dunst, Viticulturist, Double A Vineyards, Inc.

After nearly twelve months of taking care of your vineyards, the last decision you make can be the most agonizing and difficult– when is it time to harvest the fruit?  As grapes mature, they develop aromas and flavors, and the chemical composition of the fruit changes.  Knowing when those factors have reached optimum levels is both an art and a science, and the answer can be different for each variety you grow.

Let's discuss the science first.  As fruit matures, several indicators of ripeness can be measured.  The most obvious is the sugar content of the fruit, measured as percent sugar or soluble solids and referred to as degrees brix.  A relatively inexpensive Read More »