The propagation of grapevines is an important consideration in commercial

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, r ...

and

winemaking Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and ...

. Grapevines, most of which belong to the ''

Vitis vinifera ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. There are cur ...

'' family, produce one crop of fruit each

growing season A season is a division of the year marked by changes in weather, ecology, and the amount of daylight. The growing season is that portion of the year in which local conditions (i.e. rainfall, temperature, daylight) permit normal plant growth. Whi ...

with a limited life span for individual vines. While some centenarian

old vine Old or OLD may refer to: Places * Old, Baranya, Hungary * Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...

examples of

grape varieties This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see V ...

exist, most grapevines are between the ages of 10 and 30 years. As vineyard owners seek to replant their vines, a number of techniques are available which may include planting a new cutting that has been selected by either clonal or mass (massal) selection. Vines can also be propagated by

grafting Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the rootstock. The succ ...

a new plant vine upon existing

rootstock A rootstock is part of a plant, often an underground part, from which new above-ground growth can be produced. It could also be described as a stem with a well developed root system, to which a bud from another plant is grafted. It can refer to a ...

or by

layering Layering has evolved as a common means of vegetative propagation of numerous species in natural environments. Layering is also utilized by horticulturists to propagate desirable plants. Natural layering typically occurs when a branch touches ...

one of the canes of an existing vine into the ground next to the vine and severing the connection when the new vine develops its own root system.Wine & Spirits Education Trust ''"Wine and Spirits: Understanding Wine Quality"'' pp. 2-5, Second Revised Edition (2012), London . In commercial viticulture, grapevines are rarely propagated from

seedling A seedling is a young sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle (embryonic root), the hypocotyl (emb ...

s as each seed contains unique genetic information from its two parent varieties (the flowering parent and the parent that provided the pollen that fertilized the flower) and would, theoretically, be a different variety than either parent. This would be true even if two

hermaphroditic In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have s ...

vine varieties, such as

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new ...

, cross pollinated each other. While the grape clusters that would arise from the pollination would be considered Chardonnay any vines that sprang from one of the seeds of the grape berries would be considered a distinct variety other than Chardonnay. It is for this reason that grapevines are usually propagated from cuttings while grape breeders will utilize seedlings to come up with new grape varieties including crossings that include parents of two varieties within the same species (such as

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon ...

which is a crossing of the ''Vitis vinifera'' varieties

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being u ...

and

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

) or hybrid grape varieties which include parents from two different ''

Vitis ''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 79 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, ...

'' species such as the Armagnac grape Baco blanc, which was propagated from the ''vinifera'' grape

Folle blanche Folle blanche, also known as Picpoule, Gros Plant, and Enrageat blanc, is a wine grape variety from southwest France. It was the traditional grape variety in Cognac and Armagnac production until the 20th century. Folle blanche is an offspring ...

and the '' Vitis labrusca'' variety

Noah Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5� ...

Terminology

A color mutation is a grape variety that while genetically similar to the original variety is considered unique enough to merit being considered its own variety. Both Pinot gris and Pinot blanc are color mutations of Pinot noir. In viticulture, a clone is a single vine that has been selected from a "mother vine" to which it is identical. This clone may have been selected deliberately from a grapevine that has demonstrated desirable traits (good yields,

grape disease This is a list of diseases of grapes (''Vitis'' spp.). Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Miscellaneous diseases and disorders Nematodes, parasitic Phytoplasma, virus and viruslike diseases See also *'' Ampeloglypter ater'' *'' A ...

resistance, small berry size, etc.) and propagated as cuttings from that mother vine. Varieties such as

Sangiovese Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grap ...

and

Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for ''pine'' and ''black.'' The word ''pine ...

are well known to have a variety of clones. While there may be slight mutations to differentiate the various clones, all clones are considered genetically part of the same variety (i.e. Sangiovese or Pinot noir).J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pp. 183-184, Oxford University Press 2006 . A selection massale is the opposite of cloning, where growers select cuttings from the mass of the vineyard, or a field blend. A crossing is a new grape variety that was created by the cross pollination of two different varieties of the same species.

Syrah Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse ...

is a crossing of two French ''Vitis vinifera'' species, Dureza from the

Ardèche Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha; frp, Ardecha) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Mondeuse blanche from

Savoie Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population ...

.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pp. 316, 528 & 1023, Allen Lane 2012 . Theoretically, every seedling (also known as a selfling), even if its pollinated by a member of the same grape variety (i.e. such as two

Merlot Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...

vines), is a crossing as any vine that results from the seed being planted will be a different grape variety distinct from either parent. A hybrid is a new grape variety that was produced from a cross pollination of two different grape species. In the early history of American winemaking, grape growers would cross the European ''Vitis vinifera'' vines with American vine varieties such as ''Vitis labrusca'' to create French-American hybrids that were more resistant to American grape diseases such as downy and

powdery mildew Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of ascomycete fungi in the order Erysiphales. Powdery mildew is one of the easier plant diseases to identify, a ...

as well as

phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bu ...

. When the

phylloxera epidemic The Great French Wine Blight was a severe blight of the mid-19th century that destroyed many of the vineyards in France and laid waste to the wine industry. It was caused by an aphid that originated in North America and was carried across the A ...

of the mid to late 19th century hit Europe, some growers in European wine regions experimented with using hybrids until a solution involving grafting American rootstocks to ''vinifera'' varieties was found. Eventually, the use of hybrids in wine production declined with their use formally outlawed by European wine laws in the 1950s.
Grape Vine Cuttings

Propagation Methods

As commercial winemakers usually want to work with a desired grape variety that dependably produces a particular crop, most grapevines are propagated by clonal or massal selection of plant material. This can be accomplished in one of three ways.

Cuttings

This involves a shoot taken from a mother vine and then planted where the shoot will eventually sprout a root system and regenerate itself into a full-fledged vine with trunk and canopy. Often new cuttings will be first planted in a nursery where it is allowed to develop for a couple of years before being planted in the vineyard.

Grafting

Grafting is a process in which a new grape vine is produced by making a cut in the

and then adding scionwood that is cut to fit inside the incision made in the rootstock. This involves removing the canopy and most of the trunk of an existing vine and replacing it with a cutting of a new vine that is sealed by a graft union. There are two main types of grafting in the relation to the propagation of a grapevine.

Bench Grafting

This process is typically performed in the beginning of a new year in a greenhouse, taking place during the late winter months, to the early spring months. This process is used on younger and smaller vines before the vines are planted in a vineyard. However, the type of cut made on the grape vine determines the classification of the Bench graft. The two techniques to perform a Bench Graft includes the Omega Graft and the Whip Graft. The Omega Graft is performed by the rootstock and scion being grafted together by the two pieces being cut into shapes that align together. The Whip Graft is performed by making an identical small dip at angle into the rootstock and the scion, so they can be adjoined.

Field Grafting

Field grafting is performed after the vine has been planted in a vineyard and has aged a few years. The objective of using this method is to avoid replanting and a final product of a grapevine with two diversifications. The procedure of field grafting is performed with the vines still planted, by making two inversions in the rootstock of a certain type of grapevines and placing two of the same type of scions that differ from the rootstock into the rootstock. The most common ways to perform field grafting are the Chip Bud method, the T Bud method, the Cleft Graft and the Bark Graft. The Chip Bud Method is performed shortly after the grape vine is planted, giving the rootstock enough time to become active but the bud of the grape vine is still inactive. It is performed by cutting two small slopes in both sides of the rootstock and cutting a small scion into a small bud and placing the scion bud into the cuts made on the rootstock. The T Bud Method is performed by making a cutting a T at the bottom of the grapevine that is above the soil. Once the T is cut, the bark surrounding the cut is pulled back and the scion is placed between the two sides that were pulled back. The Chip Graft is performed on the branches of a grape vine, when the rootstock is dormant. The method is performed by making a wedge in the rootstock and placing two scions into the wedge. After the Graft starts growing one of the scions is removed, leaving only one to grow. The Bark Graft is performed by making three incisions on the edge of the grape vine's rootstock, and removing majority of the bark around each of the cuttings, leaving a small amount of bark at the end of the cut and inserting three of the same scions into the incisions, using the remaining piece of the cut bark to cover the end of the scions.

Layering

In established vineyards where only a few vines need to be replaced within a row (such as vine lost to machine damage or disease), a new vine can be propagated by bending a cane from a neighboring vine into the ground and covering it with dirt. This segment of vine will soon begin sprouting its own independent root system while still being nourished by the connecting vine. Eventually, the connection between the two vines is severed, allowing each vine to grow independently.

Clonal versus massal selection

Each cutting, taken from a mother vine, is a clone of that vine. The way that a vine grower selects these cuttings can be described as either clonal or massal selection. In clonal selection, an ideal plant within a vineyard or nursery that has exhibited the most desirable traits is selected with all cuttings taken from that single plant. In massal (or "mass") selection, cuttings are taken from several vines of the same variety that have collectively demonstrated desirable traits. Vineyard sign showing Cab Sauv clone

Historically, massal selection was the primary means of vineyard propagation, particularly in traditional vineyards where vines are only sporadically replaced, often by layering a cane from a neighboring vine. In the 1950s, the isolation and identification of desirable clones in nurseries and breeding stations lead to an increase in clonal selection with new vineyard plantings seeking out clones from well established vineyards and wine region. This trend towards clonal selection has seen some criticism from wine writers and viticulturalists who complain about "mono-clonal" viticulture that has the risk of producing wines that are overly similar and dull. Other criticisms of clonal selection involve the increased risk in vineyards lacking genetic diversity among its vines as well as the changing priorities in wine production. While many clones in the mid to late 20th century were isolated, some of the desirable traits exhibited by those clones (such as early ripening or high yield potential) may no longer be as desirable today where other traits (such as low yields and drought resistance) may be more prized.

References

{{Viticulture Viticulture Plant reproduction