Has any one tried "intensive grape farming"? If yes; details please.?

Question

Reply of "Unemployed_graduate" is interesting. Is the distance kept at 12' X 8' to facilitate mechanization operations or for some other reasons like sustainability of the vine in particular area?

Answer 1

I've never tried intensive grape farming, but here is a good article on it. You deserve a decent answer to a good question.

http://www.agnet.org/library/nc/126e/

Answer 2

I don't know by what you mean by intensive grape farming, but I worked with a company which supplies 6 billion litres of wine to the world each year (all produced in one location) - our grape producers were local blokes and had properties which were 10 000 acres or more. They would produce 100 000 tonnes of grapes. One person has 30 000 acres under grapes and produced 300 000 tonnes.

The grapes from these farms arrived on road-trains and we could crush 1000 tones per hour (50 trucks)

In this case, vines were planted at 12 foot x 8 foot spacings (on root stock) and that is as close as you can allow spraying and harvesting equipment to operate (while getting a good income).

The grapes in this environment do not produce the quality of a standard 50 acre block, nor the quantity but the make up for it in cheap production.

The grapes can be sold for $150 per tonne at a profit if grown in mass plantings.