Grape Diseases - What Are The Most Common Grape Diseases?

Even the fruits blessed by the Greek gods are not immune to diseases that can wipe out the entire vineyard or adversely change their flavor. We are, of course, referring to grape diseases, of which there are many. It is then the farmer's job to identify, manage and eliminate these diseases for the protection of both crops and profits.

Identification of the vine diseases is important as most pests, fungi and bacteria will respond to a specific control measure. Once the grape disease has been properly identified, management in the form of elimination and prevention can then commence.

Continue reading about grape diseases...

Pruning Your Grapevines

Would you like if it I shared with you the one thing that you are currently not doing (probably), yet if properly done could dramatically improve the health of your grapevines and subsequently their yield?

Ok, well here it is...

Are you pruning your vines? If not this simple activity can immediately have a huge impact on your vineyard.

Learn more about pruning grape vines in my latest article...

Watch Out For These Grape Disorders

Even the fruits blessed by the Greek gods are not immune to diseases that can wipe out the entire vineyard or adversely change their flavor. Grape diseases are plentiful and when left unattended can ruin your crop. If you want to learn how to grow grapes, one of the most important things you can do is watch out for any signs of illness in your grapes.

You need to be aware of the different kinds of diseases since each one will have there own specific method of treatment. The first step to treating a grape disease is the identification and diagnosis of it.

Anthracnose

This is a fungal disease (Elsinoe ampelina) that mostly affects the fruits although other parts like the leaves, shots and stems are also attacked. It's first signs are dark spots that then progress to ashy-gray on the berries while the young shoots become dead and the leaves become disfigured.

Black Rot

Black rot is another type of disease caused by fungus that attacks all parts of the growing grapes. Unfortunately, the first symptoms can only be seen within 10 days after the first infection has started, thus, possibly making for elimination difficult. Tiny brown dots that eventually turn black are characteristic of this disease. Rainy weather can spread the infection throughout the vineyard very quickly.

Crown Gall

This disease caused by a bacteria affects both the roots under the ground as well as the vine's stem. It appears as hard brown to black gall almost to the size of walnuts. Fumigation of the soil is a common treatment for crown gall.

Dead Arm

This is one of the grape diseases that affect all parts of the plant from the shoots and branches to the fruits and leaves. The symptoms are similar to black rot except that rotted tissue has a lighter color and the pycnidia are larger albeit lesser in number. The name comes from the fact that all the affected parts eventually die from the fungal infection.

Downy Mildew

It's easy to spot this disease since the affected parts of the plant become covered with a white substance that looks like down but is actually a fungus. The first signs of this disease are seen as yellowish-green spots on the upper face of the leaves. It then subsequently spreads to other parts of the plant. All the leaves can fall once this disease really takes hold of the plant.

Powdery Mildew

Downy mildew and powdery mildew are two grape diseases that are often mistaken for each other. However, it's actually caused by a different fungus. This fungus impairs the growth of the grape vine stems and leaves. The fruit berries appear dull and darkened with a light powdery growth.

Other diseases in the vineyard include gray mold and nematode growth, which are also of great concern for the farmer. Grape diseases are very dangerous and care must be taken to prevent them from destroying your hard work, causing loss of time, money and frustration. If you are a lover of wine, then it's important to be aware of the love and sacrifice of the grape farmer that was required to produce that bottle of wine you are now enjoying.

Pests That Can Destroy Your Grapes

Learning how to grow grapes in both small and large tracts of land can be profitable and enjoyable, too. But there is a learning curve - you need to learn all about the various aspects of growing grapes; from the types of grapes to grow to how to care for them and everything in between. One of the most important thing to learn is how to defend against grape pests, especially insects, that can totally destroy your crop in very short time.

The following are just a few pests that attack the vineyards of the world. Well, actually, some of the mentioned pests are endemic to one part of the world but with the way the world is changing now, it pays to know the other possible pests, too.

Grape Phylloxera

These tiny aphid-like insects with yellow bodies have both foliar and root forms. If you start to notice unusual growths called galls on the grape leaves or roots, then it's a sign that you just might have a grape phylloxera infestation.

These grape pests set off a chain of events that can ruin the crop. Since these insects lead to premature defoliation in the severe stages, the ripening of the fruits is delayed and, thus, the crop quality is affected.

Management of phylloxera starts with routine monitoring of the grapevines and the leaves for any gall formation. If you common experience phylloxera infestations, you might want to treat your plants with insecticide. Carbaryl is the most popular insecticide for grapes. .

Japanese Beetles

These insects are extremely detrimental to may different types of crops and grapes are one of them. An adult beetle is identifiable through its brilliant metallic green thorax and head coupled with copper-brown wing covers.

The good news is that the berries can usually take the impact of these grape pests for as long as the infestation is at mild to moderate levels. In severe defoliations, the grapes can be injured. Management of Japanese beetles consists of twice-weekly checkups during the growing season coupled with hand-picking of the pests and application of insecticides like Permethrin preferably as localized spot treatments.

Grape Berry Moth

This is one of the grape pests that attack the berries. The adult grape berry moth is small insect with mottled brown color and a bluish-gray band inside the front wings while the larvae are creamy white.

It is not the adult grape berry moth that concerns farmers the most but the larva since it feeds directly on the berry. The larva can also contaminate the crop resulting in even more devastation.

Injured berries are usually removed by hand while prevention measures include destroying the dead leaves. An application of insecticide may be in order to keep these moths under control since they produce two generations each year.

In the course of your career growing grapes, you will come across many other grape pests like the multicolored Asian lady beetle and the yellow jackets. Become educated with regards to the different pests that exist in your area and the best means to prevent them.

Vitis Vinifera - Tracing the Origins of Wine

Wine is a kind of drink extracted from the Vitis Vinifera plant, more commonly known as the grape vine. This is probably one of the most popular drinks in the world today. Up to date, there are now a wide variety of wines available in the market at varying prices. Either way, the drink has always been a symbol of celebration and gatherings. But before you go out and start opening another bottle, take time to read on and trace back the origin and history of the world's most favorite drink.

Some may think that Vitis Vinifera wine farms and its origins came from the European continent alone (which is also the area most popular for world-class wines at present), but the fact is, the East has its very own wine history as well. The earliest record that mention of the grape plant being used as a drink was dated all the way back from China, about 9,000 year ago.

Continue reading about Vitis Vinifera...

Home Wine Making - Labels and Other Supplies

Making wine at home involves a lot more than just growing the grapes and making wine out of them. There is a whole science around bottling and the best way to do it. In this article we take a look at some aspects of bottling including choosing labels and corking.

You can read it here: Home Wine Making - Purchasing The Right Labels And Supplies...

Food That Goes Best With Chardonnay Wine

The world-renowned Chardonnay wine is extracted from a specific kind of grape known in the grape growing and wine industry as the Chardonnay grape. These vines are most popularly grown in an area in France called Burgundy, where people have perfected the art of how to grow grapes, and produce one of the most delicious white wines in the market. The original taste of the grapes is actually not that distinct and strong. As a result, many wine makers combine them with other ingredients to make their own unique tasting Chardonnay wine.

Many wine experts believe that it is quite difficult to pair Chardonnay wine with food because of its very subtle taste. But nonetheless, it can still be done. Listed below are the best kinds of food and dishes that you can pair with that perfect bottle of Chardonnay.

1. Sauces that are creamy - This is considered to be one of the best kinds of dishes to pair with Chardonnay wines. Cream based sauces with pieces of poultry are heavenly with this white wine. Since properly cooked chicken does not have a strong taste, it will allow you to savor the taste of Chardonnay grapes at the same time. This makes them a perfect combination.
2. Fish - Fish such as salmon and seafood like oysters help to bring out the excellent flavor of citrus that the Chardonnay grape is famous for. Of course, seafood needs to be cooked just right, with just the right amount of spices to neutralize its strong flavor and not overpower the wine.
   
3. Subtle pork dishes - Subtle pork dishes like that from the Caribbean can also go perfect with that bottle of Chardonnay. This is because food from the Caribbean is normally subtle and not very spicy. This makes it the perfect food to serve with Chardonnay wine, allowing you to savor that Chardonnay grape taste.
   
4. Fruits - Wines are best paired with foods that basically have the same tastes. Since Chardonnay has the flavor of fruit, it's an excellent wine to serve with fresh fruit like apple slices or cut mangoes.
   
5. Cheeses - Another serving suggestion is smoked cheese, examples of which are Gouda and Jack cheeses. These cheeses are good since they do not leave a strong aftertaste that could reduce the ability to taste the Chardonnay grape flavor.
   
6. And last but not the least -Chardonnay can be enjoyed just as wonderfully when taken as it is. For the best taste it should be chilled to a temperate of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Having a glass that is a bit too cold may numb your taste and prevent you from tasting the wine's full flavor.

Another Tip - What you need to stay away from are the tomato based dishes. Tomato sauces have a sharp and very acidic taste that does not blend well with the subtle and buttery taste of the Chardonnay grape.

So if you want to enjoy that meal to its fullest, make sure that you have the perfect wine that with it that will complement the flavor and the taste of your food. So be prepared to awe your guests by using these serving suggestions to complement that bottle of Chardonnay wine that you've been saving!