Growing Grapes For Wine Making

Any wine starts with the grapes. If the person growing wine grapes does not do it correctly, the grapes for the wine will not be as good. For optimal taste, the grapes must be grown correctly. Therefore spend some time learning how to grow grapes correctly, before you make your wine. In this article we will discuss some secrets that will ensure you avoid common grape growing mistakes.

There are many factors to think about when first planting a vineyard. You have to select the right location for planting the vines for one thing. This is important to the health of the vines. They need enough sun, the right amount of water and should be protected from damage.

Since grape vines dislike the roots being overly wet it is wise to plant on a bit of a slope so that drainage is adequate. The vines will not grow well if they receive too much water. Their grapes will not taste as good, or worst the plants may even die. Above we mentioned that sunlight is extremely important for grape vine growing. Photosynthesis requires sunlight and increases the sugar content of the grapes; which ultimately turns to alcohol during the fermentation process.

If you are growing grapes for the sole purpose of making wine then you are looking to get a lot of small grapes. This is because it is the grape skins that primarily determine the wine's color and flavor. The bigger the grapes, the less skins you have. This is why you actually want the small grapes as they will give you more skins and less juice. To cultivate smaller grapes, be sure to plant the vines in soil with less nutrients. This causes vine stress which results in smaller grapes.

Now what type of grapes you grow depends on the flavor you want in the wine. Every grape has it's own unique flavor. It's your choice, whether you want white or red wine. You just need to choose the right grape as we said already.

When growing wine grapes you also need to choose the variety that grows best for your location too. You can't just choose it for the wine flavor; you have to make sure you will have enough grapes to harvest too. Not all grapes grow in all parts of the United States. One of the most popular wine grapes is the vitas vinifera, which has it's origins in Europe. It will only grow in the warmer zones of 7 and higher here in the USA. It also prefers a drier climate. California has been very successful in growing not only this grape, but many others, mainly due to it's mild and dry climate. This is not to say that other states are not successful too though.

With the right kind of care growing wine grapes can be successful. Growing your own grapes and making your own unique wine can be extremely satisfying. Whether you are just doing wine making as a hobby or a business it is so rewarding.