David... Grape Vine question

David... you are the grape vine guru here... I've bought myself a variety of red eating grape and I was wondering, from the experts, what's the best structure to build to grow it on. I don't want it too high and I remember travelling through the Hunter Valley seeing all the vines that are kept low to something like 4 or 5ft. So, for one vine what would you make?

Simon,IMO, as you have only 1 vine, this is what I would do.
2 wood posts ( or metal), 2 metres apart or your preferred distance, I mention this distance only to get maximum plant/fruit combination. Stay these or dig deep holes. Run a wire at around 1.2 metres from the ground post to post.
Plant the vine in the middle of the posts. Once the plant is establihed tie a pease of baling twine to a dead stick and twist a the vine gently up this. Let the vine grow past the wire. the vine needs to be pencil thickness, at this point, cut through the bud above the wire. Turn your secatuars upside down, handle at wire height, where the blades end the 2 buds from that point are the one's that will be trained either way, the buds above this point are removed leaving the leaf with fingers or a blade. Keep 2 more below as back up. Remove the buds all the way to the ground again leaving leaf only.
As the 2 buds grow towards the sky and reach the wire start to run the along the wire in a spiral, but not tight as they will grow into the wire as time goes on.
When the vine reaches the posts at again pencil thickness it will be at the lignified stage, cut through the bud on an angle leaving the tendrel only.
This is what is called bilateral, if this is to much work, plant the vine at one end post and do as above with string, with one proviso, as the plant goes past the wire wrap the vine along it with out removing any of the buds along the wire. As the plant gets a bit stronger remove the lateral shoots below, again leaving the leaf. This is called unilateral.
If possible place the row east to west or inline to the sun coming up and down, this will give the vine even sun, no hot side or wet side, this is for fruit and desease reasons.
As you do not spray, the only (chemicals) that you will require are copper and sulphur.
I will place some pictures on here later as we have some young vines to show the steps above.
Hope this is easy to follow, if not ask and I will do it more with pictures.

Thanks David.

I'll get onto it today In between boughts of rain I have just the spot! How do they cope with wind?

Simon if you have not placed the posts in yet, does the wind come in the same direction as thr sun?. Also are the posts about 600mm above the 1.4 metres I mentioned.

Rain didn't stop so will have to wait until next weekend to plant/build. Wind is the roaring 40s. It blows west --> east... so same line as the sun (in the opposite direction).

You mentioned 1.2m... the posts can be whatever size I need. Are you saying I need 2m long posts above the ground now??? I don't really want them high.

No Simon, the 1.2 or 1.4 is to run a wire from post to post. The second height is at the top of the post to run whart is called the foliage wires, this holds the canes from the plant up and allows the fruit to stay dry. As mentioned will take picture when the rain stops.