There are times when a vineyard owner needs to change one grape varietal to another in the vineyard. Replanting is a very expensive and time consuming option. Change can be accomplished through a time-honored practice known as grafting. In addition to grafting, Mother Nature has her own way of introducing new varietals in the vineyard. Although somewhat rare, spontaneous mutation in the vineyard can create new varietals and new clones. Let’s review how new varietals are introduced in the vineyard. First let’s consider grafting.
There are basically two modes of grafting...bench grafting and field grafting. Bench grafting allows the viticulturalist to have a wine variety, say Merlot, grafted onto a special disease-free rootstock in order to protect the plant from soil borne diseases like phylloxera and nematodes. At Regan, all the vines were planted as bench grafts, which was completed at the nursery.
Perhaps you have heard of reality shows like “House Swap” or “Wife Swap” Field grafting allows the vineyard owner to “swap” one varietal to another.
As the wine industry is ever-changing, to keep up with shifting consumer tastes, it is important for the vineyard owner to be certain that the grapes he or she is growing are the ones in demand. You may recall the tremendous demand for Zinfandel grapes in the 1980s, when White Zinfandel was the craze. (Yes, eventually everyone figured out Zinfandel is a red variety). Remember how popular Merlot was in the 1990s? In recent years, demand for Pinot Noir wine has been very high, and therefore the demand for those grapes has soared. As a winegrower, you best stay abreast to demand for grapes or you may be out of business. Grafting allows the vineyard owner to change varietals in order to keep varietals in line with demand.
HOW IS FIELD GRAFTING DONE? In the winter prior to grafting, the vines to be grafted are cut off with just the vertical trunk remaining. In the spring time, after bud break, a bud from a dormant cane (kept refrigerated) is sliced and inserted into a corresponding slice on the trunk below the bark. The matching cuts have to be just the right depth so the cambrian layers of tissue can line up. The cambrian layers are the vital layers of the plant that allow the water
and nutrients to flow in the vine.
The first grafting at Regan was done in our LA VITA section. After several
vintages with this new Italian blend, we learned that Dolcetto was really the cornerstone of the wine, yet we only had one acre. Thus, by grafting ½ acre of Refosco to Dolcetto, we were able to shift the blend to have more we were able to shift the blend to have more
DolcettoDolcetto
In the late spring, the grafted bud begins to grow and the emerging shoot is
trained onto a trellis system. In the first year all fruit is removed. In the second
year, a half-size harvest can be expected.
MUTATION IN VINEYARD
New varietals can be introduced in the vineyard by nature, too. Did you know that Pinot Noir (black Pinot), and Pinot Grigio (gray Pinot) and Pinot Blanc (white Pinot) are all closely related? Viticultural experts claim that originally there was only Pinot Noir. Then, through mutation in the
vineyard, there was a natural shift. Perhaps an 11th century monk working in a Pinot Noir vineyard noticed a plant yielding fruit with bronze color instead of black...voila Pinot Grigio. In fact, we have seen mutation in our own Regan Vineyards. On the very same plant, one observes both Pinot Grigio and Pinot Blanc. And yes, the fruit tastes different! Those canes of Pinot Blanc could be propagated to create a “new” Pinot Blanc varietal. But I think 13 varietals and clones at Regan is enough diversity at one vineyard!
