Where to buy wine grapes ?

sdw

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so how come you can find chilean table grapes in grocery stores here in Victoria at this time of the year ?
Different Market. Maybe you can buy your grapes at the grocery store. I don't know anyone that's made Wine with table grapes.

Did you check with http://www.portofinowines.com/ to see if they know anyone that's importing Chilean wine grapes on this coast?
 

vancity_cowboy

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Jan 27, 2008
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table grapes aren't used for wine because the sugar content is way too low

also, fresh wine grapes by the box are quite a bit less expensive than flown-in table grapes. if you are willing to pay the price for flown-in, then ask around, i'm sure somebody can help you

btw, have you contacted saanich sommelliers yet? you'll get much more expert advice from them than you will from an excort review board
 

johnywalker87

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Nov 27, 2014
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table grapes aren't used for wine because the sugar content is way too low

also, fresh wine grapes by the box are quite a bit less expensive than flown-in table grapes. if you are willing to pay the price for flown-in, then ask around, i'm sure somebody can help you

btw, have you contacted saanich sommelliers yet? you'll get much more expert advice from them than you will from an excort review board
so why wine grapes aren't sold as fruits in Grocery stores ?
 

sdw

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so why wine grapes aren't sold as fruits in Grocery stores ?
Table Grapes, Wine Grapes and Raisin Grapes may all be Grapes, but they are different cultivars. The desired characteristics are different.

List of grape varieties https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_grape_varieties

When to pick Table Grapes http://www.australiangrapes.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/11270/Consumer-Fact-Sheet.pdf

When to pick Wine Grapes http://www.chanticleerwine.com/assets/client/File/Harvest-Information-Article.pdf

Because Wine Grapes are picked when completely ripe and having the grape easily separate from the stems is a desired characteristic, they wouldn't look good in a retail store - people wouldn't buy them for their table.

Because Table Grapes are picked ripe, but not so ripe that the grapes separate easily from the stems, they don't have nearly as much sugar as Wine Grapes. Less sugar, means less alcohol which means a watery characterless wine.
 

johnywalker87

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Nov 27, 2014
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Table Grapes, Wine Grapes and Raisin Grapes may all be Grapes, but they are different cultivars. The desired characteristics are different.

List of grape varieties https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_grape_varieties

When to pick Table Grapes http://www.australiangrapes.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/11270/Consumer-Fact-Sheet.pdf

When to pick Wine Grapes http://www.chanticleerwine.com/assets/client/File/Harvest-Information-Article.pdf

Because Wine Grapes are picked when completely ripe and having the grape easily separate from the stems is a desired characteristic, they wouldn't look good in a retail store - people wouldn't buy them for their table.

Because Table Grapes are picked ripe, but not so ripe that the grapes separate easily from the stems, they don't have nearly as much sugar as Wine Grapes. Less sugar, means less alcohol which means a watery characterless wine.
so does it mean that the same varieties of table grapes would be good for making wine if you pick them late? Assuming that grapes unlike bananas don't ripen after they get picked ?
 

sdw

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so does it mean that the same varieties of table grapes would be good for making wine if you pick them late? Assuming that grapes unlike bananas don't ripen after they get picked ?
Grapes don't acquire any more sugar once they are picked. They just rot if kept too long without refrigeration.

There are centuries of selection in the varieties of grapes used for wine. They are bred for sugar and taste. So, I'd say that while it's possible to let Table Grapes ripen on the vine and use them to make Wine, you aren't going to get a high quality Wine. Table Grapes are not bred to have the amount of sugar a Wine Grape has.

I suppose that some people don't care that much about taste. After all, people drink applejack. When I've had the time to make Wine, I've always tried to make a Wine that I'm proud to serve to other people. I have dumped Wine that failed my taste test, before anyone else got a chance to taste it. Even with good grapes, bad luck or carelessness will ruin your wine and make it into plonk that is only good for getting people with no taste buds drunk.

Where you make your Wine is important. How clean your equipment is is important. When you stop the fermentation is important. There are lots of opportunities for it to go wrong.

On the Wiki list that I linked there are some varieties that can be used both as a Table Grape and as a Wine Grape. I have never made Wine with one of those varieties, so no idea how good the Wine would be.
 

vancity_cowboy

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Jan 27, 2008
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johny, you really do need to talk to the somelliers club... just sayin' :)
 
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