We have 2 1/2 acres of table grapes on the farm planted in the summer of 2008. As you can see from the picture above they are planted much further apart than many wine grapes you see in Napa or Sonoma. The other main difference is in fertility management. Table grapes are grown to be sweet and big. We do not restrict the vine or the harvest to concentrate flavor like the wine grapes. We grow a cover crop between the rows over winter to fix nitrogen from the air. We apply compost and other organic fertilizers throughout the season to keep the vines growing strong. They get all the water they need unlike there wine grape cousins who are on starvation rations.
This cover crop will be allowed to grow to about four feet tall then mowed and tilled in to release nutrients to spur spring growth of the vine. We hope to have our own table grapes for your box in 2011… Nigel