Does anyone know how go get a hold of California grapes in Georgia?
I'm in the Atlanta area and looking for some place that imports for
wine makers.

I checked out a few of the local vineyards and while I appreciate what
they are trying to do, I didn't find much that I really liked. I made
wine for a few years in California and was able to pick my own.

Thanks in advance!

On Aug 2, 1:19 pm, wrote:
> Does anyone know how go get a hold of California grapes in Georgia?
> I'm in the Atlanta area and looking for some place that imports for
> wine makers.
>
> I checked out a few of the local vineyards and while I appreciate what
> they are trying to do, I didn't find much that I really liked. I made
> wine for a few years in California and was able to pick my own.
>
> Thanks in advance!

Find out where the produce comes in and check with those wholesalers.
We get hundreds of truckloads in here in Pittsburgh.

Joe

Joe Sallustio wrote:

> On Aug 2, 1:19 pm, wrote:
>> Does anyone know how go get a hold of
>> California grapes in Georgia? I'm in the
>> Atlanta area and looking for some place that
>> imports for wine makers.
>>
>> I checked out a few of the local vineyards and
>> while I appreciate what
>> they are trying to do, I didn't find much that
>> I really liked. I made wine for a few years in
>> California and was able to pick my own.
>>
>> Thanks in advance!
>
> Find out where the produce comes in and check
> with those wholesalers. We get hundreds of
> truckloads in here in Pittsburgh.
>
> Joe

Hey Joe, We get a lot of grapes in to Baltimore
also. My question is have you been able to find
a variety (red) that is not really high brix. It
seems as if most of the grapes shipped into
Baltimore are from the hot Central Valley and
very high brix. I do not like rocket fuel wine.
One year I got some Sangiovese that was decent but
last year it was like the rest.

I believe there's a wholesale produce center in Hot 'Lanta...I know the USDA
used to have a list of regional wholesale center. A google may be in order
OR ask a local produce merchant if he knows who sells wine grapes down
there. I'd look for older Italian or Latino dudes to ask; perhaps they make
a little rocket fuel too... HTH, regards, bob


> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Does anyone know how go get a hold of California grapes in Georgia?
> I'm in the Atlanta area and looking for some place that imports for
> wine makers.
>
> I checked out a few of the local vineyards and while I appreciate what
> they are trying to do, I didn't find much that I really liked. I made
> wine for a few years in California and was able to pick my own.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>

We get a lot of grapes in to Baltimore
> also. My question is have you been able to find
> a variety (red) that is not really high brix.

Hi Paul,
To be honest, no. I can tell you both Grenache and Merlot are usually
>1.09. Central Valley fruit in general is high brix lower acids. I'm
probably going to get some Zin and Cab this year too. I can get
grapes in Erie to blend in, you usually get the opposite there; lower
sugar and higher acid. I know they grow Cab Franc down your way,
maybe you could give that a shot. Hotter ferments blow off some
alcohol too.

Joe

On Aug 3, 4:49 am, Joe Sallustio > wrote:
> We get a lot of grapes in to Baltimore
>
> > also. My question is have you been able to find
> > a variety (red) that is not really high brix.
>
> Hi Paul,
> To be honest, no. I can tell you both Grenache and Merlot are usually>1.09. Central Valley fruit in general is high brix lower acids. I'm
>
> probably going to get some Zin and Cab this year too. I can get
> grapes in Erie to blend in, you usually get the opposite there; lower
> sugar and higher acid. I know they grow Cab Franc down your way,
> maybe you could give that a shot. Hotter ferments blow off some
> alcohol too.
>
> Joe

1.09 is pretty low for reds these days, we routinely get red grapes
over 1.1 and not just from Central Valley, also from Napa and
Washington. We sometimes reduce the alcohol by taking off some juice
and adding water and acid instead.

Pp

pp wrote:

> On Aug 3, 4:49 am, Joe Sallustio
> > wrote:
>> We get a lot of grapes in to Baltimore
>>
>> > also. My question is have you been able to
>> > find a variety (red) that is not really high
>> > brix.
>>
>> Hi Paul,
>> To be honest, no. I can tell you both Grenache
>> and Merlot are usually>1.09. Central Valley
>> fruit in general is high brix lower acids. I'm
>>
>> probably going to get some Zin and Cab this
>> year too. I can get grapes in Erie to blend
>> in, you usually get the opposite there; lower
>> sugar and higher acid. I know they grow Cab
>> Franc down your way, maybe you could give that
>> a shot. Hotter ferments blow off some alcohol
>> too.
>>
>> Joe
>
> 1.09 is pretty low for reds these days, we
> routinely get red grapes over 1.1 and not just
> from Central Valley, also from Napa and
> Washington. We sometimes reduce the alcohol by
> taking off some juice and adding water and acid
> instead.
>
> Pp

I have not tried that approach as of yet. I may
try it in the future. I think I am going to be
able to get enough fruit from here in North
Central Maryland and Northern Virginia. My back
yard vineyard fruiting spurs froze this year
during Easter week freezes. Other growers in the
area fared a lot better. I guess I am in a micro
climate - on the side of a hill but near a ravine
where the cold air must collect.

I don't understand why the growers of high brix
grapes let them hang so long. Two years ago we
were out in the South West. We sampled some
wines from the Grand Junction, CO area. They
were all very high alcohol. We then went down to
Moab, Utah and sampled some wine at their winery
there. It was a LOT better than the Grand
Junction Rocket Fuel. I asked the wine maker
about his procedure and he said they picked at
lower brix. It made all the difference in taste.
If they had not picked early, they would have had
rocket fuel like Grand Junction.