Complete Winemaker's Notes / Grape Wines Blue Moon Wine™ http://jackroux.com/ | http://jackroux.com/Grape-Wines.htm 2012 coming soon! 2011 We finally harvest our grapes. Its been a long hot summer, mostly dry though we have been getting some rain. >>> As I am writing this information, we are experiencing a tropical disturbance storm "Lee" with 60 mph winds/gust to 69 mph, traveling at 6 mph. At the farm, Blue Moon Orchard & Vineyard™, we are getting some rain and winds from 20-30 mph and gust 40-50 mph. This is good, meaning the rain, as it has been getting dry since our last rain. Well needed! Our grapes were more ripe this year we believe because of the heat which should produce more juice. Not as good a yield as last year, but more ripe grapes may produce more juice which gives you more wine. We'll see! This wine will be available in Spring 2013. 2010 Because of the drought we are in this year, it was dry buy still a fruitful year at our farm. Our grapes produced a very good yield. Other fruit we grow are yielding very good as well. We are planting more different types of fruit this year for future usage. *A new treat again for those of you that enjoy strawberries! We have planted 2-3 times as many strawberries this year as we have planted in years past. This means more strawberry wine, strawberries to sell and more. We expect strawberry wine available late 2010 or early 2013. We'll be able to give you a more accurate time next year. We also expect more of other different fruit to grow in the near future. We are now growing some 18 different types of fruit at our farm. 2009 Fall 2009 >>> The weather has been very good this year. Due settles throughout most nights and rain from time to time. The bird problem this year has not been as serious as years before. When we spend a lot of time out in the field, the birds must think the grapes are ripening. So, this year we didn't spend as much time out in the field/ ...resulting with less bird problems. Our yield has been much better which means there will be more wine made. This wine will be available Spring 2011. Enjoy! Summer 2009 >>> Our Concord Grapes are starting to ripen and soon we will making a harvest. Enjoy the pictures placed above. Winter 2008/2009 >>> This was a cold winter for us here and some days were warm also (typical winter in the south). This was good for our plants, vines and fruit trees. Not as much rain as years past, but plenty of fog and dew for morning hours. The colder temperatures are very good for the dormant plants, vines and fruit trees (because of having more chill hours throuhout the winter season). Over all I believe this is very good for our plants, vines and fruit trees ...which should make a better harvest for this year 2009. 2008 It was not the best of years seen. A mayor problem with birds and the weather was not that good for the plants this year. Hopefully next year will be much better. >>> August 05, 2008 ... a Tropical Storm: "Edouard" traveling 7 m.p.h. passed through our farm area from 3-6 am with winds 30 m.p.h. and gust up to 75 m.p.h. Though the eye hit land in Texas traveling 12 m.p.h., our farm caught the right side of the storm with the winds being the most problem. However, we did not occur any damages. We did get well needed rain for a few days. >>> August 29, 2008 / September 01, 2008 ..."Hurricane Gustav" ...Didn't have any damage from this storm which is good. There was a mandatory evacuation. >>> September 12, 2008 ..."Hurricane Ike" (winds of 110-130 m.p.h.) come in and in Texas. This storm effected Texas and Louisiana coastal towns all the way north to I-10 and other areas further north. Thankfully, our farm didn't have any damages. WHAT A YEAR! 2007 This year is another good year. Plenty of rain. Our grape vines are getting larger/older and are producing more and more grapes. Enjoy the wine! 2006 This year was a good year with the weather. Plenty of rain in the evening hours helps cut down the heat. Our grape vines are getting larger/older and are producing more and more grapes. Each year we plant more grape vines for a larger production of grapes. More grapes, more fruit, more wine! Though we may not be able to furnish everyone with our wine, this doesn't mean we can't try. 2005 Our grape vines are coming back due to the determination and hard work involved. This year has been a good year with the weather. We are receiving plenty rain this summer (something we didn't receive last summer). Some wine is being made now but only a small amount. Limited supply will apply! We won't give up. Each following year we are determined to have more. More farm locations/land ...will be bought over the next few years where we can have even a better variety of fruit available for wine making, and hopefully in the future to sell to you (speaking of wine and also fresh fruit). >>> September 24 or 25th, 2005 "Hurricane Rita" did blow through our farm @ 140 m.p.h. (so Jack was told) but everything is alright. Still in operation and our fruit/plants and fruit trees are doing fine. 2004 Some of grape vines have had a bad year due to a drought (lack of rain) and other problems this summer 2004. We have lost some of our vines which will cause us to have a shortage of grape wine this year coming. Because of this, we had to plant more young grape vines. This will only set us back a short time before the majority of our grapes will produce. The cost may have to go up next year, but this doesn't mean we won't have wine available. 1994 - 1997, and 1997 - 2003 These first few years there were no notes recorded. As for any notes from 1997-2003, if they exist, we have not been able to find them. What I can say is these years were a little rough because of droughts,, soil problems, and problems with neighbor farmers crop duster aircrafts flying overhead our farm when they should not have been any where close. They (as we believe) were dropping stuff out of there plane and killing our plants, vines and fruit trees. But we didn't give up, and look what has happened since! ~~~~~~~~~~ Blue Moon Wine™ PO Box 921 * Orange, Texas 77631 * U.S.A. http://jackroux.com/ | http://jackroux.com/Grape-Wines.htm © 1999-2012 Jack A. Roux. - All Rights Reserved - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~