One cut. That’s all it takes. And suddenly, a Müller-Thurgau becomes a Pinot Noir. Sounds like some kind of cheap trick, but in viticulture, it’s very much reality. The magic word is: grafting. Anyone who still thinks winegrowing is all about romance should take note. Grafting is one of the most radical decisions a grower can make. It literally involves severing the head of a vine and giving it a new one. No metaphor here.
Max Kaindl, July 20, 2025
Reading time about 4 minutes
Grafting – A Radical Opportunity in the Vineyard
Why graft?
The reasons are simple:
Changing varieties
Because the market demands it. Or the grower. Or because one has to accept that Müller-Thurgau no longer has a future in the hot Wonnegau – or anywhere else, for that matter.
Correcting mistakes
Because Bacchus will never make it into the league of great wine grapes.
Improving quality
Because old vines may be healthy but planted with the wrong variety.
Trends
Because Dornfelder was “in” thirty years ago. And today? It’s Chardonnay.
In short
grafting is a tool that allows winegrowers to react quickly – albeit at a cost – to changing circumstances.
How does it work?
In spring, just as the sap begins to rise, the old vine is cut back radically. Not at the trunk, but just above the grafting point. The grower inserts a scion – usually one-year-old wood from the desired new variety – into a precisely cut notch in the old wood. Sounds simple. It isn’t.
Two methods have become standard:
Chips Budding
a single bud is inserted.
Whip and Tongue
scion and vine are fitted together like two puzzle pieces.
The goal of both is the same: to ensure the vascular tissue of the old wood fuses with the new scion. This takes skill, experience – and luck.
The grafted vine is then wrapped in special tape and often sealed with wax to keep out moisture and dirt. A few weeks later, you’ll know whether it worked.
What does it take to succeed?
Healthy vines
no vitality below ground, no chance above.
Perfect timing
too early – no sap flow. Too late – too much sap, the cut won’t heal cleanly.
Clean execution
germs, dirt, bad cuts – all recipe for disaster.
Right variety
grafting Müller-Thurgau onto Dornfelder? Pointless.
The risks
It’s simple: it can fail. Completely.
The graft doesn’t take.
The vine struggles with water supply.
The plant may be weak for years.
Fungal diseases attack the wounds.
No crop for two or three years.
So why graft at all?
Because compared to replanting, it’s fast – if not necessarily cheaper. The old roots stay in the ground. The vine is established, rooted deep, familiar with the site. Water stress? Hardly an issue. The new variety benefits from all this.
A newly planted vineyard is effectively dead for the first five years: planting year, training, first tiny crop, eventually something of usable quality. Top quality? That takes another ten years at least. With grafting, you might have grapes again by year two – and at similar or even better quality than before.
Why it might still be better to replant
Because patchwork doesn’t always lead to happiness. The work involved in vineyard upkeep may be too high. Trellis systems might not fit. Neither might the row spacing. Or it’s simply the chance to rethink things in the vineyard from the ground up: different spacing, new rootstocks, better alignment, proper soil work from day one.
My Take
Grafting is a brilliant tool – if you know what you’re doing. And if it suits the site. I’ve seen it firsthand at many estates: it can make all the difference. A slow seller suddenly turns into a bestseller.
But: this is not for romantics. It’s a brutal, business-driven, and labor-intensive intervention. And sometimes, the smarter move long-term is to admit it’s time to start over from scratch.
Bottom line
Grafting is the fastest route to a varietal change. But not always the best. It’s just one of many tools in a grower’s kit. If you do it, know why. Know what you hope to achieve.
Pictures: © The Art of Riesling – Maximilian Kaindl
