Rondo harvest

[lockwood1956]

Well, the Rondo grapes (Pinot noir clone) that the birds left me, are nearing harvest, the Brix is at 22 (S.G. 1.080)

seeds however are still not brown, the grapes taste sweet but I suspect the acid may still be too high.

I am away next weekend, so was toying with the idea of harvesting today, but I'm going to be brave....

checked the weather forecast and there are no frosts predicted for the rest of the month.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/tenday/UKXX0078?from=month_topnav_business

So I'm going to let them hang and hopefully harvest on the weekend of Nov 3rd.

If in the meantime the seeds go brown, then I shall harvest one evening (by torchlight) I think giving them the extra hang time will do no harm at all, and seeing as there aren't that many of them left, and we are not due any frosts, then its not such a big deal. (I hope)

cheers me dears
Bob

[lockwood1956]

Although I might bottle out and harvest today


EEK


cant be making descisions on a sunday after sooooo much wine on a saturday.

[medpretzel]

How much is there to harvest?

[lockwood1956]

not that much really, there should have been, but alas the birds ate most of them.

Three rows of 8 vines per row, but only about enough left (I think) for 1 to 2 gallons

[NorthernWiner]

On the one hand, even if the seeds are green, you can do a rack and return (aka "delestage") during fermentation to avoid bitter/green seed tannins.

On the other hand, even a frost is not going to bother grapes that much other than a little raisining (what... you've never heard of icewine?)

The call is yours, but six one way, a half dozen the other, as they say.

(by the way, you must have some top drawer weather forecasters over there. Ours in the states can't even predict rain much more than 24 hours out)

[lockwood1956]

(by the way, you must have some top drawer weather forecasters over there. Ours in the states can't even predict rain much more than 24 hours out)

lol
well steve I got it from weather.com ....a USA website

lol

[NorthernWiner]

lol
well steve I got it from weather.com ....a USA website

lol

lol... well I definitely wouldn't put a lot of faith in that forecast then.

[lockwood1956]

lol... well I definitely wouldn't put a lot of faith in that forecast then.

EEK!

[Hippie]

LMAO

I agree with Steve about the weather forecasters and I also don't see why one little frost will hurt.

[medpretzel]

So will you harvest soon? How do the seeds look now?

[lockwood1956]

I shall harvest this weekend, but may go sooner......perhaps tomorrow if they are ready
regards
Bob

[Richard S]

Leave a few for the birds. The ghost of Lockwood future has spoken

Mwhahahahaha!