GARDENER'S READING ROOM
Edibles

Create Your Own Label: Vines, Wines, and Beers

Yes, Martha, you can grow your own grapes and hops—and make your own "private label" wine and beer—in the Puget Sound region. Selecting the cultivars for our area has already been done for you by Sky Nursery!

The first thing to consider with grapes is the location. What you need is a well drained area that receives at least 8 hours of full sun. Grapes need "heat units" to flourish! We have the heat units if proper exposure is provided.

Let us next discuss grape varieties. Choose Pinot Noir 'Wadenswil' from Switzerland for a rich red wine. Pinot Noir 'Dijon 115' and Chardonnay 'Dijon 76' also produce fine Burgundian wines. Pinot Gris, a maroon-skinned cousin of Pinot Noir, produces a rich, crisply acid white wine. Remember, too, that Golden Muscat and Concord grapes can be either made into wine or eaten fresh.

Growing your own hops for creating your own label "home brew" is relatively easy. A sunny well-drained area and a trellis system and you will have hops for years and years. We purchase our hop plants from the same source as the commercial growers. These are the real thing! The cultivar 'Cascade' has a well balanced bittering potential. It is an excellent choice for ales. 'Willamette' can be used for both Pilsner and ales. The time to harvest hops is when your flowers become sticky.

Sky Nursery has information sheets to guide you through growing and pruning your grapes or hops, and many local stores offer the equipment and information needed to transform your produce into your private labels. Come see us to get started. Cheers!

By Bill Bloomfield, W.C.N.
Skylights Spring, Vol 16, No. 1

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