How many people on here own vineyards?

[allenr]

I was under the impression that my wife, daughter and daughter-in-law were supporting the Australian Chardonnay production rather well! They mainly drink Black Opal. Why the poor market for that variety?

Chuck

Thank you to your wife, daughter and daughter-in-law.

Australia has planted too much of most varieties - up to about 4 - 5 years ago exports were growing strongly, prices were good and every man and his dog were planting vines. Tax incentives encouraged investment companies to plant huge acreages.

Those of us who've been in it for a while knew it would end in tears - and it has. The Australian dollar increased to near parity with the USD, competition from South Africa and America increased and then to complete the trifecta the US economy bit the dust.

White tastes seem to be moving to Sauvignon Blanc and new mediterranean varieties. New Zealand has large and increasing plantings of Sauvignon Blanc and now a large oversupply with which they're flooding the world.

Fortunately, while times were good, I invested money outside of primary industry and while returns are suffering with the now global recession, it's still keeping my head above water.

 

[allenr]

I have looked into planting wine grapes but the more I learn the more I realize I am too busy to dedicate the time required to grow high quality wine grapes. Plus in this area it is a huge gamble. By the time you get a variety established that all the wineries want they change their mind and you have a crop you have to give away. It is a real fickle market here and the prices are no where near what you guys get or even the Niagara on the Lake regions.

Our bread and butter is Concord. It is very tolerante to the conditions here and is rather easy to take care of. The most work after establishing the vineyard is trimming each year. We are a no tie system so once their trimmed I don't have to touch the vines except to repair posts or wires and to scout for problems. Everything else is done with machines right through havest.

I looked at your profile and if possible could you post some pictures of your equipment you use on your farm? I enjoy seeing vineyard equipment from different areas as I never know what is available in different markets. Most of our equipment comes from Europe but slowly. They lead the industry and it seems most of the equipment is built in Italy and tested there.

Right now the main tractors used in this area are the Case-IH and New Holland vineyard tractors and John Deeres 5000N series. Massey doesn't have much market at all which is discouraging. There are a few SAME and Landini tractors also and Kubotas. I would love to see Claas and Fendt bring their vineyard tractors to this area but I doubt that is going to happen anytime soon.

The main sprayer used locally is TurboMist. The JD dealer brought on Jatco which looks like a nice cheaper sprayer. Almost all the sprayers here are trailed sprayers in the 400 gallon size. The large farms have gone to multirow sprayers. And there are some Gregorie mounted sprayers also.

The top harvesters used are Korvan and Gregorie. Korvan is a bit cheaper then Gregorie and is built in the US so it is easier to get and the guys like the fact it is a US built machine. It is a nice machine but I prefer the Gregorie unit as it seems to do a little bit better job. If I harvested 300+ acres then I would go with Gregorie, less then the Korvan is easily good enough. Both make the Chysholm Ryder look like a dinosaur in terms of speed of harvest, harvest quality and ease of use.

Is Concord a table or drying grape? I know drying grapes are harvested mechanically here but i don't believe table grapes are.

I object to my Chisholm Ryder being called a dinosaur , it's American know-how at its finest! However I have fitted it with a Nairn head (copy of Mecca) and their mini-bows and I don't believe it gives too much away to Gregoire or Korvan. Or Pellenc. Or Braud (New Holland).

If I had 250K + to spare I'd be very tempted by the Korvan - everything on Gregs and Pellenc are run like the clappers (don't know if you have that expression there - it means "fast") and while money is tight I wouldn't want to be paying the maintenance on them.

For now, some pics from my hard drive.



My old pnuematic pruning buggy



Home-made buggy for planting vines,training vines, tying up drip hose, etc. Has two seats low on RHS that slide out allowing operators to place a leg each side of a vine while woking on it.

My disc

My home-made (apart from the orange bit)pnuematic pruner

A disc I photographed at a field days, each disc mounted individually (lots of bearings) allowing parrallel gangs, shorter length and a crumble roller. Anybody know who makes these - European I think.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Thanks for the pics. I have never seen a disc like you posted with individual bearings. It is interesting and I will see if I hear anything about it at our grape conference in a few weeks.

The Chysholms are nice machines are were built about an hour from me. There are still quite a few of them around here. I just know there is a very noticeable difference with what is left behind these machines. Both the Gregorie and Korvan can pick much cleaner and faster. I worked with all three last year and they are still fresh on my mind. Of course this is with Concords which may harvest different then other varieties. I was real impressed with the Gregorie units though. There are 3 of them owned by friends of mine (two self propelled, one pull type). There are 4 Korvans also (2 self propelled, two pull type). There are a couple Pik-Rytes and about 6 Chysholms and a couple pull behind Meccas. There is even a Chysholm clone about 15 miles away that came from down under if I recall. All these harvesters are owned by friends of mine within a 5 mile radius (except the clone). It is nice though as I get to see all of them work and talk to the guys about them to know of any problems they are experiencing.

Concords are great for eating but they are used by Welches and other processors to make grape juice, jams and jelly that you buy at the super market. Niagara is the other variety we grow which is what they use for the white grape juice in stores.

Is it just an illusion or is that Fendt a full size tractor?

 

[allenr]

Thanks for the pics. I have never seen a disc like you posted with individual bearings. It is interesting and I will see if I hear anything about it at our grape conference in a few weeks.

The Chysholms are nice machines are were built about an hour from me. There are still quite a few of them around here. I just know there is a very noticeable difference with what is left behind these machines. Both the Gregorie and Korvan can pick much cleaner and faster. I worked with all three last year and they are still fresh on my mind. Of course this is with Concords which may harvest different then other varieties. I was real impressed with the Gregorie units though. There are 3 of them owned by friends of mine (two self propelled, one pull type). There are 4 Korvans also (2 self propelled, two pull type). There are a couple Pik-Rytes and about 6 Chysholms and a couple pull behind Meccas. There is even a Chysholm clone about 15 miles away that came from down under if I recall. All these harvesters are owned by friends of mine within a 5 mile radius (except the clone). It is nice though as I get to see all of them work and talk to the guys about them to know of any problems they are experiencing.

Concords are great for eating but they are used by Welches and other processors to make grape juice, jams and jelly that you buy at the super market. Niagara is the other variety we grow which is what they use for the white grape juice in stores.

Is it just an illusion or is that Fendt a full size tractor?

Yes it is a full size (305LSA), as is my Deutz, both are about 6' wide and work fine in 10' rows but it can be difficult to get to the rear of the tractor in the row.

It seems Pik-Rite is still in business but not in Grape Harvesters?

Is the Chisholm Ryder clone a Nairn from New Zealand?

I take it there is nothing at all left of Chisholm Ryder?

I assume there are are grape growers in Australia who supply fruit to processors for juice and jams although I wouldn't be sure - too much of Australia's processed foods are imported.

Some more photos I took late yesterday, harvest has been keeping me busy, finally sold the remaining 34 tonnes of Chardonnay at $120 per tonne and have just started on the reds.


Blade Plough, the hydraulic widening runs on UHMWPE slides and was added by me last summer. Previously manually clamped to just the rear 4 x 4" RHS and regularly broke the clamping bolts.


Greentech two row sprayer, made in Adelaide, South Australia uses a 60KVA three phase alternator running 10 x 2.2kW fan motors. I've made the front bearing and seal of each motor greasable or they'll get spray inside in about 40 - 50 hrs of use.





Pellenc Pre-Pruner, my brother added the rotating drums below the cutters last year in an attempt to throw the prunings out from under the row. Not entirely successful, needs more work.



Monroe Hydraulic post auger and knocker, the auger motor swings in under the dolly for when a pilot hole is required, I have about 4 auger sizes to fit, usually choose one a bit smaller than the post so the post will be driven in and be tight. Only require a pilot hole for 5" + posts or in very heavy soil.

Howard Rotary Hoe



Roller for towing behind hoe to compact the soil to help prevent spring frosts. I widened the roller to 80" a few years ago and made a new, stronger frame to accept the strain of an also added hydraulic cylinder and raising wheels.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I like that auger/pounder you have there. I am going to look into it more as I am curious about if they sell here in the US.

I don't recall the name of the clone but it may be what you said.

Chysholm is gone completely. THere are local guys here that deal with parts for them still but they source the parts themselves as there is no parent company left to supply them. I had heard Pik Ryte had bought Chysholm Ryder and that was the basis for their grape harvester but I don't know if this is true or not.

I wish I could get my TN down the grape rows but at 6' wide the only time I can fit it down the rows is after they are trimmed and before they start growing. Even then it is tight as the rows are on 9' spacing. My friend has 30 acres of double curtains and there is no way you will get anything but a narrow vineyard tractor down those rows unless it is an older open station tractor like a MF 135 or Ford 3910 where they sat low to the ground. Running a JD 5410N thru them during harvest was a lot of fun. I am glad that tractor had a cab otherwise the canes would have tore me to shreds.

There are a few guys who run 10' rows but most everyone runs 9' rows here and just use vineyard tractors.

As for pulling the trimmings away from your mechanical trimmer have you thought of using a finger reel? The trimmers here have finger wheels (one on each side) that are powered hydraulically. They spin and the fingers (can't recall the length of the fingers) do a good job grabbing the trimmings and pulling them away from the vine and towards the center of the row. They even use this system on the flail choppers to pull the trimmings into the chopper and away from the base of the vine. It won't get 100% but it does a good job.

Here is something like I am trying to describe and I would think could be converted to your trimmer rather easily.

http://www.hoopermachinery.co.nz/images/ss1.jpg

Side-shoot Remover

 

[kossetx]

If you consider mustang grapes, then I have one heck of an orchard. It's more like they own me though. I do make wine and jelly from them.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

If you consider mustang grapes, then I have one heck of an orchard. It's more like they own me though. I do make wine and jelly from them.

I don't think I want any of the wine or jelly from Mustang grapes

 

[Chuck52]

I don't know about mustang grapes, but being from East Tennessee I am sure familiar with muscadines, another wild grape. Muscadine preserves are wonderful, and though the usual country muscadine wine is made too sweet for my taste....rather like most Concord wine...I have had some that was dry and very good. I'm going to try to grow muscadines here in mid-Missouri even though our winters are probably too cold for them. I have such fond memories of picking and eating muscadines I was willing to bet the $15 for five vines!

Chuck

 

[charlz]

Some more photos I took late yesterday, harvest has been keeping me busy, finally sold the remaining 34 tonnes of Chardonnay at $120 per tonne and have just started on the reds.

Is that $120 AUD ($75 USD)? Is that a good price? How many tons per acre?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Is that $120 AUD ($75 USD)? Is that a good price? How many tons per acre?

No, it isn't a good price but his market has gone to the tank and he has to take what he can get or dump the crop on the ground. That is how the wine business works some times, when prices are high everyone plants, when the vines all start producing you have to hope the wine market kept growing or else the market is flooded and you have to give away the crop compared to just a few years ago when everyone made a good profit.