Wine page 5

 Wine page 5 by ric gustafson

A lot of grapes can produce about 60 cases or 720 bottles. That varies as far as the amount of juice. Small berries will have less juice than large grape bunches. When grapes are barely pressed, the juice free runs.

Grape vines come in different shapes and sizes. Vine shapes and sizes is determined by grape variety and the climate. Also how the vines are pruned and spaced. 

Pruning is the process of cutting back the vines while they are dormant. Some people consider pruning an art and a science. What is left is the basis for the next year's crop. Pruning can not be too much or too little. 

The spacing of grape vines has become an art. In the past, economics determined vine spacing. The closer grape vines are spaced, their roots compete for the same soil, nutrients and water. The better balanced the vineyard the better the grapes and the better the wine. 

Grapes picked by hand is now a thing of the past. Mechanical harvesting is being used more around the world. There is no perfect yield. Every vineyard has a breaking point. Too many grapes will cause the vineyard to be out of balance. Then the quality of the wine will plummet.

Next we will talk about how wine is made.

research help: ' The Wine Bible' by Karen MacNeil

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric