Aug 24, 2026 · 20 min · 10 segments
A discussion on what rootstock is and how important they are to the industry today. Send Us Topics
So let's start with a little history.
The process of grafting is old.
Our ancestors were utilizing grafting as far back as biblical times.
And the idea is quite simple.
You take a cutting from the plant you want fruit from, that's called the scion, and you join it to the root system of a different plant, the rootstock.
You cut them so their tissues line up, you bind them, and if you've done so correctly, their vascular systems fuse together and create a unified plant.
It may sound incredibly obvious, but one of the most important parts about grafting for wine grape production is this.
The fruit that you get is entirely from the scion.
So if you graft Pinot Noir onto an American rootstock, you get Pinot Noir grapes, not slightly American Pinot Noir grapes.
The genetics of the berry, the skin, the aromatics, all of that comes from above the graft, which is a good thing because this affords you the fruit that you want with the aptitudes and characteristics of the rootstock necessary to thrive in the soil environment.
So let's start with a little history.
The process of grafting is old.
Our ancestors were utilizing grafting as far back as biblical times.
And the idea is quite simple.
You take a cutting from the plant you want fruit from, that's called the scion, and you join it to the root system of a different plant, the rootstock.
You cut them so their tissues line up, you bind them, and if you've done so correctly, their vascular systems fuse together and create a unified plant.
It may sound incredibly obvious, but one of the most important parts about grafting for wine grape production is this.
The fruit that you get is entirely from the scion.
So if you graft Pinot Noir onto an American rootstock, you get Pinot Noir grapes, not slightly American Pinot Noir grapes.
The genetics of the berry, the skin, the aromatics, all of that comes from above the graft, which is a good thing because this affords you the fruit that you want with the aptitudes and characteristics of the rootstock necessary to thrive in the soil environment.
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