The
propagation of grapevines is an important consideration in commercial
viticulture and
winemaking. Grapevines, most of which belong to the
Vitis vinifera family, produce one crop of fruit each
growing season with a limited life span for individual vines. While some centenarian
old vine examples of
grape varieties 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 a new plant vine upon existing
rootstock or by
layering 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.