I make wine with two different groups. Both groups are making sagiovese
this year. Both batches of sagiovese grapes are very week. I hope I can
explain it. Sugar was low in one group. about 20.5. the other group,
sugar was ok 22.
In both groups, the grape (taste) was light, not very flavorful. During
the primary, the skins are pink / pale. Not dark red. The juice is light
almost rose, and does not have a very good taste. Very little fruit taste.
Grapes came from two different distributors. What could be causing this.

All the others look and smell fantastic. (Cab, Gammy, Zin, & Merlot)

Any ideas? Anyone else doing sangiovese?

I got a few lugs of Central Valley Sangiovese this Saturday. The sugar
was very low too: 20 Brix. The bottom half of each lug had grapes w/o
stems, and there weren't any stray stems. About 20% of the grapes had
a green tint, and there were plenty of immature, tiny green grapes.
Overall, a crappy year for Central Valley Sangiovese.

-David
Denver, CO USA

.....Glad I passed them by and went Zin And Cab sauv.......day 7 of the
primary ferment and it looks really good for color so far.

"NotReallyMe@home" > wrote in message
...
>I make wine with two different groups. Both groups are making sagiovese
> this year. Both batches of sagiovese grapes are very weak. I hope I can
> explain it. Sugar was low in one group. about 20.5. the other group,
> sugar was ok 22.
> In both groups, the grape (taste) was light, not very flavorful. During
> the primary, the skins are pink / pale. Not dark red. The juice is
> light
> almost rose, and does not have a very good taste. Very little fruit
> taste.
> Grapes came from two different distributors. What could be causing this.

There are at least two problems:
(1) The fruit was overcropped,
(2) They picked too early.

Some clones of Sangiovese bear really heavily. If the crop isn't thinned
earlier in the season, the fruit will become crowded by adjacent clusters.
Where the clusters touch each other they will never develop color; they
will remain green - even when they're ripe.

Sangiovese doesn't ripen too early in normal years. That could account for
the low Brix, but it's also possible that your grower has been watering
recently. That will also set the Brix back. Overcropping may have a
similar effect.

Leaf pulling (or the lack of it) may also be a contributing factor, since
some varietals really like lots of sun on the berries.

If I had to guess, I'd say that your grower is rather unenlightened about
how to grow the best fruit, and since he sells by the pound he's shooting
for the _most_ fruit.

Tom S

From which growers/vineyards did the grapes come from?
"NotReallyMe@home" > wrote in message
...
>I make wine with two different groups. Both groups are making sagiovese
> this year. Both batches of sagiovese grapes are very week. I hope I can
> explain it. Sugar was low in one group. about 20.5. the other group,
> sugar was ok 22.
> In both groups, the grape (taste) was light, not very flavorful. During
> the primary, the skins are pink / pale. Not dark red. The juice is
> light
> almost rose, and does not have a very good taste. Very little fruit
> taste.
> Grapes came from two different distributors. What could be causing this.
>
> All the others look and smell fantastic. (Cab, Gammy, Zin, & Merlot)
>
> Any ideas? Anyone else doing sangiovese?
>
>

You're right Tom.

In Italy Sangiovese is sometimes called "one that fools the dogs".
Dogs will eat low hanging grapes that look ripe, but Sangio isn't ripe
when it appears that it is.

Our San hangs at least a full 2 weeks longer than our other grapes to
get to ripeness.

Sounds like a grower who doesn't know Sangiovese.

Dave
Circle S Vineyards

On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 02:30:29 GMT, "Tom S" >
wrote:

>
>"NotReallyMe@home" > wrote in message
...
>>I make wine with two different groups. Both groups are making sagiovese
>> this year. Both batches of sagiovese grapes are very weak. I hope I can
>> explain it. Sugar was low in one group. about 20.5. the other group,
>> sugar was ok 22.
>> In both groups, the grape (taste) was light, not very flavorful. During
>> the primary, the skins are pink / pale. Not dark red. The juice is
>> light
>> almost rose, and does not have a very good taste. Very little fruit
>> taste.
>> Grapes came from two different distributors. What could be causing this.
>
>There are at least two problems:
>(1) The fruit was overcropped,
>(2) They picked too early.
>
>Some clones of Sangiovese bear really heavily. If the crop isn't thinned
>earlier in the season, the fruit will become crowded by adjacent clusters.
>Where the clusters touch each other they will never develop color; they
>will remain green - even when they're ripe.
>
>Sangiovese doesn't ripen too early in normal years. That could account for
>the low Brix, but it's also possible that your grower has been watering
>recently. That will also set the Brix back. Overcropping may have a
>similar effect.
>
>Leaf pulling (or the lack of it) may also be a contributing factor, since
>some varietals really like lots of sun on the berries.
>
>If I had to guess, I'd say that your grower is rather unenlightened about
>how to grow the best fruit, and since he sells by the pound he's shooting
>for the _most_ fruit.
>
>Tom S
>