Vineyard july 2002 newsletter

Bloom time in the vineyard

Grapes bloom differently than other flowers. (click on the grape bloom picture for larger bloom pictures) Grape petals are a very delicate greenish white, and instead of a typical bloom they detach at the bottom, coming off the flower as a cap. Because of their appearance, the unopened buds are often mistaken for small green grapes. Every flower produces a berry and the cluster is almost full size when it blooms. Walking down the rows when the vines are in full bloom is a very aromatic experience.

Grapes are pollinated by wind and insects, such as small flies. The blossoms are both male and female. This means that most cultivated grapes are able to set fruit by self fertilization.

Although each flower in a cluster can "set" and become a single grape, in most varieties only 20 percent of the flowers set, at most. Any more than that and the grapes are packed so tightly on the mature cluster that they crush and split each other. In well filled clusters, 10 to 15 percent of the flowers become berries.

Some varieties such as Canadice, Gw-5, Vignoles and others have very tight clusters. Quite often we spray a thinning agent on the seedless varieties such as Suffolk Red, Reliance & Einset to thin them to increase berry size.

Weed control is very important this time of the year. Each row below the vines is treated with roundup. Roundup is a very safe and effective herbicide, you probably have used it yourself. It can be obtained in any hardware store in a variety of formulations such as spray cans that you can use in your garden or weeds in the cracks in your driveway (I saw and add like this one time on tv). Roundup is a systemic herbicide which means that it is taken in through the plant tissue and goes down to the root system, it takes a few weeks but the faster the weed grows, the faster it dies.

We have also been busy tying new shoots of young vines up to the first wire with soap bars and twist ties. The soap helps to keep deer away from the new shoots. The deer will go down a row and eat off every shoot since they are very tender just like celery. Before we started using soap and "grow tubes" (splastic 4 inch wide tubes that the small vine can grow in) we were losing a tremendous amount of new vines to deer. We now (sort of) have it under control.

New research clarifies red wine benefits.
Polyphenols protect against heart disease.

Researchers are homing in on how a glass of red wine can offer more than just holiday cheer, but also protection against heart disease, according to a study out today.

That report, which appears in the journal Nature, shines light on a natural chemical in red wine that may protect against clogged in arteries.

The findings may help explain a scientific mystery dubbed the "French paradox." Scientists had always wondered why the French have had a relatively low rate heart disease, despite a diet that often includes rich foods laden with artery-clogging fat.

Roger Corder of the Queen Mary School of Medicine in London focused on flavor compounds in red wine called polyphenols, which had previously been credited with red wine's heart benefit.

In this study, the team doused cow cells growing in lab dishes with polyphenols taken from popular merlots, cabernet sauvignons and other red wines. The team found that polyphenols taken from all of the red wines tested slowed the test-tube production of endothelin-1. This natural chemical may help clog arteries by triggering the growth of smooth muscle cells in the artery wall, a process that lead to fatty deposits.

The findings suggest that people who drink a glass or two of red wine a day get less production of endothlein-1, Corder says.

The researchers found that all red wines offered the endothlin-1 benefit, but cabernet sauvignon appeared to provide a slight edge.

Red grape juice also slowed the production of endothelin-1, but it wasn't as potent as the red wines, Corder says.

Other studies have shown that drinking red wine may boost the blood levels of HDL cholesterol. This is the first study suggesting that red wine's benefit may have something to do with endothelin-1, Corder says.

People who already drink wine might want to consider switching to red wine to get some of the heart benefits, Corder says. Others agree with that, but add a warning about alcohols down side.

Ira Goldberg, a spokesman for the American Heart Association, says it's easy for people to go overboard on alcohol consumption, which can cause many problems, including liver disease.

The continuous story of Cayuga Row 34 and how it behaves during this growing season.

Meet Cayuga Row 34 (or really the first vine in this row). This will be one of the vines that we will focus on this year, taking pictures of it all during the growing season. You will see it shortly after it is pruned (around Easter), when the buds are swelling and bursting in May, when it blooms in June, when the berries dramatically increase in size in July, when the berries color (although Cayuga is a white grape) in August, and you may be the one to harvest it in September!

Cayuga vine in mid-June

Same vine in late June

Vine is exploding in growth!

The grapes are now in bloom.
See the very tiny white petals.

Click on the tiny grape below for a
series of bloom pictures..

Click here for the rest of the story and to go to our more
in-depth study of 3 growing vines,
a Cayuga, Delaware & a DeChaunac

July Grape Recipe - Seedless Grape Coffee Cake

Make coffee cake according to box directions. Pour into greased (or buttered) 9 inch round baking pan. Top with seedless grapes. Mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle over grapes. Bake according to box. From Sandy Pruden

1 package coffee cake mix
2 cups seedless grapes, washed
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg