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The first step is to do your research, and know exactly what you're getting into. For the first several years of vine growth, you may see minimal or no fruit production, and during this time, the vines are vulnerable to a number pests, fungi and diseases. Growing healthy grapes is a huge time investment. Visit or contact a local vineyard, and ask to spend time working the vineyard with them. This on the job training is one of the best ways to learn the ins and outs of successful grape growing specific to the area you want to grow in. Motivation for growing grapes varies. Many people grow grapes for personal fruit consumption. Others choose to start a small vineyard to produce a few bottles of wine for themselves. You may want to produce grapes that will be sold to a local wine producer, or you may want to grow grapes to make your own wine for sale. You need to know what your goals are before you start planning and planting in order to make decisions about what types of grapes to grow, how many vines to plant, and how much money you'll need to finance your vineyard. You should be sure that grapes grow successfully in the area where you plan to start your vineyard. Get started by learning as much as you can about average temperatures, number of growing days in the season, frost and freeze days, and precipitation (rainfall). To get this information, contact your local agricultural governmental agency or outreach office to find out specifics for the area. They can also help you file necessary paperwork, if you wish to sell your grapes or wine after production. In the U.S., you can work directly with the United States Department of Agriculture or the National Institute of Food and Agriculture extension found here https://nifa.usda.gov/extension. In Canada, you can work with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/home/?id=1395690825741. In the UK, contact the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board here http://www.ahdb.org.uk/. Universities and colleges that offer programs in agriculture or horticulture are also great resources to find out more about climate. As a rule, all grapes do well in areas with warm summers, mild winters, no late freezes, and few chances for spring frost. They do best when temperatures stay above 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) at night and above 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius) during the day. Ideally, they take full sun with very little shade. However, you can find a variety of grape for almost any climate. The Vitis International Variety Catalogue provides a searchable database of international grape varieties here http://www.vivc.de/index.php. These listings also provide information on the number of necessary growing days, ideal temperatures, and planting regions. Originally recommended to deter destruction caused by phylloxera, an insect that damages vine roots, vines grafted to hardier root stock make it possible for vineyards to produce a greater variety of grapes in less-than-ideal climates. You can ask your nursery, local agricultural exchange, or other vineyard owners nearby for recommendations on whether or not to use grafted vines. Once you've decided what purpose your vineyard will serve and what types of grapes to grow, you'll need to select the best growing location on your property. If you haven't purchased property yet, you can incorporate the keys to selection into your property evaluation. Grape plants do well on slopes because they help to properly drain the soil. Excessive moisture can lead to mildew, fungus, and rot that vines are prone to. If you are starting a vineyard on a slope, keep in mind that southern facing slopes extend the growing season while those facing north shorten it because there is less sun exposure, Sep on which hemisphere you live in. Where you place the grapes will impact the flavor of the wine. Soil content, weather conditions, and temperature change the flavor of grapes. This will make the flavor of wine from such grapes vary as well. You need to make sure the soil has a pH between 5.5 and 6.5 and no higher than 7. Vines, unlike other plants, actually struggle to produce fruits in soils that are too rich in nutrients. Water should not be left to sit in the soil around vine roots, so drainage is essential. It's best to consult a professional to test your soil, but there are also a number of test kits available through nurseries. The Alcohol and tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau provides a listing of American Viticulture Areas that help vintners select sites for their wine growth based on flavors and reputation associated with specific growing regions. You can access this list here https://www.ttb.gov/wine/us_by_ava.shtml.
Learn about the process of growing grapes. Decide what your vineyard will be for. Study your local climate. Select a grape variety. Consider grafted vines. Choose the area where you will be planting. Test the soil.