Mines to Wines

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Mines to Wines

• David Lawson
• Owner
• MountainRose Vineyards Inc.

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In The Beginning

• Vacant Mine Land
• What Might Grow
• Poor Organic Matter
• Grapes
• Love to Farm

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Before and During Mining

• 30 - 40 Original Slope
• Reclaimed in 1989
• Removed 150 vertical feet
• lt1 slope now
• One 60 bench slope (21)

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Before
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After
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The before
1999
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Today
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How I First Planted

• Soil Sample
• pH 5.9
• Applied 4 tons/acre of Dolomitic lime
• Plowed
• Disc
• Roto-tilled
• Planted

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First Year Results

• Weed Control
• Pre-Emergent Weed Killers Didnt Work
• Not enough clay to bind
• Wet Spots
• Less than 1 slope
• Poor drainage, lost year
• Vine Growth
• 3 shoots per vine
• 1 foot of growth

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Second Year Results

• Wet Spots and Dead Vines
• Wet Weather Springs
• Added drain culvert

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3rd Planting

• Bench Slope Planting
• 30 grade
• Ripper
• Soil Sample
• 2.9 OM (organic matter)
• pH 6.5
• Already Well-Drained Soil

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Learning from Experience

• More Grade
• 2 - 5 slope
• No wet spots
• Less Compaction
• Deeper Ripping
• Surface Rock Pick-up

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Completed Experiments

• 7 Different Winegrape Variety Trials
• Traminette, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Meunier,
  Chancellor, Vidal, Niagara.
• Compost Mulch Applications
• Increased growth (30 average)
• Fertilizer Applications
• 10-10-10, Ammonium Nitrate, 19-19-19
• 4 oz per vine actual N
• 150 lbs actual N per acre

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Finding Vine Balance

• Cane Pruned v/s Spur Pruned
• Between Vine Spacing
• 8ft X 10ft to 4ft X 8ft
• Training Systems
• Low Cordon v/s High Cordon
• Vertical Shoot Position (VSP)
• Geneva Double Curtain (GDC)
• High Cordon

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Vertical Shoot Position
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Geneva Double Curtain
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Experiments In Progress

• 5 Rootstock Trials
• SO4, 3309C, 420A, 110R , 101-14MG
• Chisel Plowed Vineyard Rows
• New Winegrape Varieties
• Under Vine Cover Crops
• Increase OM
• Increase water infiltration
• Weed Competition

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Pre-1977 Mine Land

• pH (5 acre plot) 4.2 pH - 7.8 pH
• Huge Rocks
• More Rocks
• Broken Equipment
• D4 Ripper
• Wet Spots
• Dry Spots

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New Preparations

• Cover Crops
• rye, orchard grass, oats, clovers
• Ripping
• Rock Picking
• Re-Grading

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If Money Was Not An Issue

• Big Ripper
• D 9
• Rock Crusher
• Couple Years of Cover Crops
• Re-Grade to Prevent Wet Spots
• Laser Planting
• Compost

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Advantages to Reclaimed Mined Land in SWVA

• Ability to Create Desired Slope
• Low Organic Matter
• Less Vine Vigor
• Climate
• Less Humid
• Adequate Rainfall
• Excellent Fall Ripening Weather
• Warm days and cool nights

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Advantages to Reclaimed Mined Land in SWVA

• Elevation
• 1800 - 2500 feet
• High Rock Mineral Content
• Increased Flavor in Fruit
• Publicity of Reclaimed Mined Land

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How To Grow Fruit

• Being Commercially Productive is Possible
• Good Frost-Free Site
• Proper Aspect
• 1st South, 2nd East, 3rd West
• Good Slope (2-10)
• Non-Compacted Soil
• Adjusted Stable pH
• Wine grapes (6.2-7.0)

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How To Grow Fruit

• Money (7000-10,000/planted acre)
• Return (2000-3000/acre)
• A Lot of Man Hours
• Average of 250 man hours per acre per year
  (maintenance)
• Proper Rootstock, Variety, Training System
• Compost Application

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MountainRose Vineyards

• David Lawson
• Owner, Winemaker, Vineyard Consultant
• Wise, VA
• 9 Acres Grapes
• 1200 cases wine/year
• www.mountainrosevineyard.com

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QUESTIONS?