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Post by merlin on Mar 5, 2011 18:55:26 GMT
Once again I fear that my Greenhouse vine has succumbed to the harsh winter, not absolutely certain but I've scraped the bark This morning I've ordered a 'Boskoop Glory' as I'm determined to make a bottle of home made wine. This time I intend to train it along next door's brick wall. It faces west and is sheltered from the north. Surely the odds of yet another severe winter must be low....he said optimistically! Last year We ,made some wonderful wine from out 'Ornamental vitis purpurea'. The problem is that we've been told it's not for wine making. Nobody could tell me why until today when a Lady from Anglesea said there's something in the grape that's not good though she said she didn't know just what it was and that because of this it must be sold only as an ornamental vine. I'll continue to search as the wine we made is too good to waste. Do any of you grow grapes?
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Post by steve on Mar 5, 2011 19:24:39 GMT
This is from the BBC Plantfinder site Merlin
The grapes are small and bitter, but can be eaten even though full of pips they are best used as garnishes or left on the plants for decoration. When ripe, even the birds are reluctant to feed on them. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
If it is edible I can't see why the wine can't be drunk? I found the grapes on mine this year were sweet and nice to eat straight from the vine but most sites describe them as sour or bitter?
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Post by merlin on Mar 5, 2011 20:43:18 GMT
Well, "I'll go to the bottom of our garden" I never thought of looking there Thanks Steve, I can now look forward to a few glasses of Chateau Ivy Cottarge I agree they don't taste too bad though there's a lot of seeds. I used a Juice extractor to get rid of the skin and seed, it resulted in what looked like a thick ribena cordial ! We had a bottle of out Elderberry last Sunday and it was as good as any from Sainsbury's.
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Post by Cherry on Mar 5, 2011 22:01:09 GMT
I think quite a few of us grow grapes Merlin.
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Post by Geranium on Mar 5, 2011 22:06:23 GMT
The grapes on my Vitis vinifera purpurea were much bigger than usual last year but we didn't eat them or make wine. Didn't even think of it!
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Post by merlin on Mar 6, 2011 7:30:58 GMT
I'm thinking of replacing a Parthenocissus with an ornamental vine called 'Spetchley red' fantastic colour and potential wine too
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Post by Geranium on Mar 6, 2011 8:45:23 GMT
Don't know that one, Ron. Sounds good, though!
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