The North Eastern part of the United States is peppered with wineries throughout the region. These small wineries boast fileds full of prominent grapevines that are a trademark of the northeastern landscape. The wines that result from the years and years of practiced winemaking around this part of the country are good enough to stand up to wines from the Sonoma Valley.

For this reason, I decided to try and make my very own wine starting from the grapevine. This is not very easy. In fact, I am having a great deal of trouble getting my new grapevine under control. The main problem is that I underestimated the plant. I thought that some of them would naturally die off. I bought extra grapevines to address the possible problem of losing some in the process.   

I chose American hybrid grapes because they are a sturdy combination between the muscadine and the vinifera grape. They thrive with basic care and attention but they need the care and attention of a seasoned gardener. I am not one of those seasoned gardeners.

Mildew that manifests itself as a powder on the grapevines showed up right in the middle of the summer season. This was relatively easy to address by using a copper-based spray. Unfortunately for me this has to be done as a preventative measure. It was a preventative measure that I failed to take. The result was a condition known as black rot, an extremely destructive mold. 

The next obstacle showed itself in the form of a Japanese beetle. I should say that it showed itself in the form of several hundred thousand Japanese beetles that decided to camp on my grapevines. I was surprised to discover that the grapevines didn’t suffer too greatly from the attack and fresh growth appeared within a few days.  

Another lesson learned this past season was where (or where not) to plant the grapevines. I chose to grow the plants around my privacy fence only to discover fungal problems that arose because the air was unable to circulate around the grapevines properly and I can't put a somewhat home air filter on grapevines for that matter and for cleansing of the air.  

In addition to mildew, fungus and bugs I also discovered that the grapevines needed attention all year long. They need to be trained. By this I mean that they need pruning and manipulation to grow properly and in the right direction. I did not address the grapevines during the winter season. Hence the out-of-control vines invading my yard.   

Needless to say, I have no really good experience with grapevines. Actually I did. They make great decorative vines for the porch after you yank them out of the ground.