How to Start a Home Vineyard
Dreaming of a winemaker's life? You may be able to have it where you are
If you love wine, the idea of sitting on your back porch, staring out at rows of vines while sipping homemade Cabernet may sound like heaven. And you don’t need a Napa-sized estate to do it. You can grow a case of wine anywhere you have room for 45 vines — whether it’s in a suburban front yard or a larger plot of land on a hillside. People with smaller plots are pooling harvests to get enough juice to bottle.
While having your own vineyard and making wine sounds like fun, it’s also work. Pete Richmond, founder of Silverado Farming in Napa, helps vineyards develop and manage their sites to produce the best possible wine and grapes. He does it all, from picking the site, developing it, choosing grapes, and analyzing soil and water requirements. Whether it’s a big or small site, the best thing you can do first is educate yourself, he says. Here’s what to consider before diving in:
While having your own vineyard and making wine sounds like fun, it’s also work. Pete Richmond, founder of Silverado Farming in Napa, helps vineyards develop and manage their sites to produce the best possible wine and grapes. He does it all, from picking the site, developing it, choosing grapes, and analyzing soil and water requirements. Whether it’s a big or small site, the best thing you can do first is educate yourself, he says. Here’s what to consider before diving in:
1. Decide on your goal. "The most important thing to think about is your goal," says Richmond. "Are you going to be landscaping? Doing home wine production? Selling fruit to a winery?" Knowing what your end result should be will really help you narrow down the process.
It's important to keep in mind that producing a successful crop of grapes takes a while. Most grapes will not yield fruit until the third year after planting. "They'll have fruit before then," says Richmond, "but it's generally cut off so the vines can grow faster. Most vines will reach full production in the fifth year." He averages that a vine can yield one pound of fruit in the third year, 1.5 pounds in the fourth, and two to three pounds every year after — and it takes about 45 pounds of fruit to make one case of wine. So, if you planted 45 vines, you'd have enough to make a case of wine after the third year of planting!
In Los Gatos, California, Brad and Dana Krouskup have had their Pinot Noir crop for three seasons, and it's just starting to produce viable fruit. "I was a bit concerned that it might get too hot for Pinot," says Brad, "but there are so many varieties, we were able to pick one that's a bit more suited for this climate."
2. Do you need a professional? The Krouskups opted to have someone come in to install and maintain their vineyard. The professional vineyard manager usually comes out about once a month to check on the grapes, although it does tend to happen a bit more frequently at this time of year, since the grapes require more care. While hiring a professional definitely saves time, worry, and eliminates some of the guesswork, it certainly isn't a necessity.
"Ask yourself this question," says Richmond, "Would you take on a kitchen remodel yourself, or hire a contractor? If you're a do-it-yourself person, then you can plant a vineyard. The only basic skills you really need to have are muscle, and a decent idea of how to install irrigation."
Los Gatos resident Rocco Falcomato's vineyard is located on the same hillside as the Krouskups. However, Falcomato decided to plant the vineyard on his own, putting Cabernet to the left and Chardonnay to the right.
Los Gatos resident Rocco Falcomato's vineyard is located on the same hillside as the Krouskups. However, Falcomato decided to plant the vineyard on his own, putting Cabernet to the left and Chardonnay to the right.
With a small plot of Chardonnay just outside his patio, Falcomato shows how you don't necessarily need a lot of space in order to plant a few vines. However, this tends to be geared more towards landscaping purposes, since more grapes are required to produce enough for winemaking.
"If you are interested in it from just a landscaping point of view, then life just got easier," says Richmond. "You don’t need to be concerned about which variety to grow in your area. Disease becomes less of a problem since it won’t be made into wine. But I have found that most people start out saying that they'll just do it for landscaping, and then it becomes something much more involved."
3. Know what you're getting into. This is going to be an investment of time as well as money. Make sure you realize that a vineyard requires much more care than most landscaping does. Richmond suggests that you plan on going out and maintaining each vine at least 15 times from January to November. If you multiply that by the number of vines you have (or plan on having), that'll help you determine how much of a time commitment this will be.
What are the most common novice mistakes? "People tend to plant way too much," says Richmond. "Sometimes people leave fruit on the vines. Leaving fruit on in the first three years will damage the vines long term. Or they'll under water. That's important. Vines need about four gallons of water a week from May to October."
A well-planned irrigation system is essential to a successful vine. Make sure you have enough water on site to water your vines correctly. If you have 100 vines, and need to provide each vine with four gallons a week, that's 400 gallons of water you need to pump onto your site. Making sure vines are pest free is another necessity. Richmond recommends that vines are sprayed every two weeks from May 1 to August 1 to eliminate mildew. "They're just like roses in that respect," says Richmond.
4. Do your research. There's a lot to learn and know about this amazing vine. Learn about what it means to take cuttings, what makes great soil, and how to graft and prune. Research the different varieties of grapes, and which ones are best fitted for your site and your climate. There are a lot of varieties and hybrids, so there is room for compromise too. If you're really set on a certain type of grape, look into varieties that might be a bit more suited for your site.
5. Pick your grapes. Once you've done the research, committed to the work, and decided on your plan of action, it's time to pick a grape. While there's a lot of back-and-forth about the best way to do this, Richmond has a rather simple and practical suggestion: "If you are intending to make wine out of the fruit, I would plant what you enjoy drinking," he says. "As a rule of thumb, whites do better in cool climate and reds in warmer. Whites are also easier to grow. Table grapes need lots of heat, which is why most of them are grown from Fresno to the Mexican border. But other than that, grow what you like."
Next: Two books to get you started.
Next: Two books to get you started.
Vineyard Simple: How to Build and Maintain Your Own Small Vineyard by Tom Powers
If you've decided not to hire a professional (or even if you do) Richmond recommends picking up a few beginner guidebooks to get your feet wet. Vineyard Simple couldn't lay it out much clearer. With easy-to-understand guidelines, diagrams, and recommendations, author Tom Powers takes you through the process, step-by-step, until you have a beautiful harvest.
From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wi
You know you've found a good how-to book when it's being used as a textbook for agricultural schools. Jeff Cox's From Vines to Wines is considered one of the most complete guides for beginning winemakers. Cox takes you from the first cutting to the first bottle with illustrated and written instructions.
Do you have a home vineyard? Or are you thinking about planting one? Tell us about it!
More: Browse more photos of landscape designs
Do you have a home vineyard? Or are you thinking about planting one? Tell us about it!
More: Browse more photos of landscape designs