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Image by Dan Meyers

Vineyard Education

Crash Course - Wine Grape Rootstocks

Here we're breaking down the basics about wine grape rootstocks. Find out why grapevines are (almost) all grafted on to rootstock of a whole other species!

Factors you can at least partly control with rootstock selection:

  • Vigor (is your vine "just gonna send it", or take it nice and easy?)

  • Disease Resistance

  • Pest resistance

  • Nutrient Uptake

  • Water Usage

  • Salt/Potassium/Boron Uptake

Some common grape species (and hybrids between these species) used as rootstock for wine grapes (Vitis vinifera):

  • Central TX grape (Vitis berlandieri)

  • Sand grape (Vitis rupestris)

  • Riverbank grape (Vitis riparia)

  • Champin's grape (Vitis champinii)

Fun fact, all of these can be found wild in different parts of Texas!

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