[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video _builder_version=”4.11.1″ _module_preset=”default” width=”75%” width_tablet=”85%” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}” src=”https://youtu.be/QfTg_4qpJ8I?feature=shared” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_video][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.11.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]Transcript:
Hello, bonjour, and welcome to your new Bonner Private Wines video. Today, I want to answer a simple question many wine lovers are wondering about: how long can vines—vines that are cropped to make grapes for winemaking of course, we talking about here—how long those vines can live for? And I want to touch on briefly the life cycle of a vineyard as well.
How long after planting do you actually get a decent crop? How young vines, you know, can produce grapes? How young can they be before they start producing the benefits of old vines? These type of things. Let’s go.
Grapevines are fascinating plants with an incredible lifespan. As a grape grower, I’m always amazed that a single grapevine can continue producing delicious fruit for decades or even over a century with proper care In this article, we’ll explore the lifespan of grapevines and the factors that influence longevity
Grapevines Have Remarkable Longevity
One of the most incredible things about grapevines is their potential to live for over 100 years! With ideal growing conditions and care grapevines are capable of surviving and remaining productive for many decades.
The key to a grapevine’s longevity lies in its trunk and root system. As long as the trunk and roots stay healthy, the grapevine can continue living through replanting and retraining. Even if the above-ground growth is removed, new shoots and cordons can be trained as long as that trunk is alive. The roots also continuously grow deeper over time, allowing old vines to tap into reserves of water and nutrients.
Grapevine Lifespans Vary By Region
While grapevines can live a century or more, their typical lifespan can vary quite a bit depending on the climate and how they are managed.
In very cold regions, grapevines may only live 10-15 years before freezing winter temperatures damage their trunks. In humid environments, fungal diseases like black rot can shorten lifespans. Insufficient care like poor pruning or water stress also reduces how long vines live.
But in ideal grape growing regions with warm, dry summers and cool winters, vines thrive much longer. Regions like California, Italy, Chile, and Australia commonly have productive vines over 50 years old, some even exceeding 100 years. The climate supports their longevity.
Phases of a Grapevine’s Lifecycle
Over the course of its lengthy lifespan, a grapevine goes through distinct phases of growth and fruit production. Here’s an overview of the annual lifecycle of a grapevine:
-
Spring: Shoots emerge from buds during bud break. Tiny flowers bloom and pollinate in the flowering stage. Flowers develop into small green berries called the fruit set.
-
Summer: Berries start changing color in the veraison stage as they ripen. Sugars accumulate and flavors develop.
-
Fall: Grapes are harvested when fully ripe. After harvest, vines enter dormancy. Leaves fall and vines become inactive.
-
Winter: Pruning prepares vines for the next season’s growth. Vines remain dormant until budbreak recurs next spring.
This cycle repeats each year over the grapevine’s life. The timeframe shifts based on climate, with cooler regions having a shorter growing season.
How Age Affects Grapevine Productivity
A grapevine’s growth habit and yield changes over its lifecycle:
-
Young vines (1-5 years) establish structure before producing a full crop. Fruit lacks complexity.
-
Mature vines (5-20 years) hit peak production with ideal yield and quality.
-
Old vines (25+ years) have lower yields but may have more concentrated flavors.
-
Ancient vines (80+ years) have very low yields but are treasured for exceptional character.
So vine age plays a major role in grape development and wine characteristics. Blending fruit from vines of different ages helps achieve balanced wines.
Factors Shortening Grapevine Longevity
While grapevines can live exceptionally long under perfect conditions, certain factors can drastically shorten their lifespan:
-
Harsh winters can damage trunks and cordons. Fluctuating winter temperatures reduce their cold hardiness.
-
Humid environments make vines prone to fungal diseases like trunk rot. Preventative sprays are needed.
-
Pests like birds, deer, and grape root borers can weaken vines. Protective netting helps deter them.
-
Insufficient water, nutrients, and pruning accelerates decline. Vines need diligent care.
-
Unsuitable growing conditions like excessive summer humidity or drought-prone soils.
Caring For Vines Through Their Lifespan
If you want your backyard grapevines to live a long productive life, here are some tips:
-
Select cold-hardy, disease-resistant varieties suitable for your climate.
-
Prune vines diligently every year to promote fruitfulness.
-
Control pests with fences, netting, or organic remedies.
-
Allow air circulation through canopy by thinning overcrowded shoots.
-
Bury or wrap trunks in winter if you live where it gets extremely cold.
-
Test and amend soil to maintain proper pH, drainage and nutrients.
With attentive care, your vines can thrive for 30+ rewarding years! It’s rewarding to nurture vines through their lifespan.
Vineyard Management of Grapevine Lifespans
Since individual vines have shifting productivity over their lives, commercial vineyards must sustain ideal vine ages across their property through two approaches:
1. Replanting Sections
Many vineyards replant sections on a 20-30 year rotation when blocks decline. This allows updating vine spacing, trellising, varieties, and rootstocks. But no grapes are produced from replanted sections for 2-3 years as vines establish.
2. Interplanting
Some vineyards interplant new vines alongside old vines in the same rows. This avoids entirely losing production but can crowd vines. As old vines decline, young vines take over fruiting.
Vineyards strive to maintain vines at their peak ages across blocks for consistent ripening and yields.
The Takeaway
In optimal climates and with attentive care, grapevines can remain productive for many decades, often over 50 years. Their longevity depends on growing conditions and management. With dedicated care, backyard grapevines can also thrive for 30+ years and beyond. The vines with the most historic character come from vineyards with the oldest, well-tended vines!
How Long Do Vines Live For?
The question is simple, but the answer is twofold. In short, it depends. What does it depend on? Well, how dry the climate is.
So to keep our answer simple here, let’s consider the two extreme scenarios. In a relatively rainy environment, in climate like in Bordeaux or Burgundy, in France, or certain parts of Oregon and Washington, where it rains quite a bit on the Atlantic coast of Spain or in the U.K., for example. Yes, they do produce wine. In the U.K., vineyards are very vigorous.
We say they grow very green and very quickly, large leaves and everything. They also tend to produce a lot of grapes. So vines fire up more quickly in those regions. A grower will have to consider pulling out the old vines and replant the entire vineyard after about 40 years because yields will start decreasing too much to remain economically viable when the vines are too old. Here, young vines will produce a lot because there’s a lot of water, but their production will decrease quite quickly after just a few decades.
On the opposite hand, in very dry climates, like in central Spain, in inland parts of California, like in Lodi, or in the extreme altitude vineyards of Argentina indeed, the near absence of water forces vines to grow very slowly and produce very little crops.
So vineyards age slower and longer, just like, you know, the olive trees can grow for centuries because they grow really slowly. Same case here in those semi-arid areas vines reach 80 years old, 100 years old, 150 years old in extreme cases, and they still produce a decent amount of grapes, not huge amounts, but decent yields, considering those areas produce low levels of crop to start with.
So all vines in dry climates take advantage of their long, deep root systems that dug far within the earth to get the real water from really, really deep. So they get smaller crops all along their lifecycle, but for much, much longer decades, almost centuries, sometimes.
How to Grow Grapes, Complete Growing Guide
FAQ
What is the average lifespan of a grape vine?
Most healthy vines reach the end of their viable, effective lifespan around 25 to 30 years and once a vine gets to this age the clusters of fruit become less dense and much more sparse.
Do grape vines grow back every year?
-
Perennial Plants:Grapevines are perennial plants, meaning they live for more than two years.
-
After the fruit is harvested and as temperatures drop, the vine goes into a dormancy period, where it rests and prepares for the next growing season.
-
In the spring, the vine awakens from dormancy, and buds start to break, initiating new growth from the existing rootstock.
-
Annual Growth Cycle:The grapevine follows an annual growth cycle, which includes bud break, vegetative growth, flowering, fruit development, ripening, harvest, and dormancy.
-
Pruning:Pruning helps to manage the vine’s growth and encourage fruit production. Pruning typically involves removing old, unproductive wood and selecting new, healthy canes to bear fruit the following year.
Can grape vines get too old?
That said, it’s worth noting that grapevines can live for more than 125 years, with their yield tending to decrease gradually once they’ve reached about 20-25 years of age. The French term for old vines is vieilles vignes (literally, ‘old vines’).
Do grape vines stop producing?
-
Grapevines can live for a long time, with well-cared-for vines potentially producing fruit for decades, even centuries.
-
Decline in Production:After about 30 years, a grapevine’s fruit production tends to decline, though it can still produce fruit for many more years.
-
Pruning is crucial for maintaining vine health and production. It involves cutting back older, unproductive canes to encourage the growth of new, fruit-bearing shoots.
-
When a vineyard reaches the end of its productive life, it’s common to replant with new, more vigorous vines to maintain production.
-
Factors Affecting Lifespan:Soil health, climate, pest control, and proper care practices all play a role in a grapevine’s lifespan and productivity, says UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.
How long do grape vines live?
Grapevines can live over 100 years but most commercial vines are replaced at 25-30 years when yields decline. Ideal conditions allow vines to live longer – cold winters and disease shorten lifespan. Vineyards replant sections periodically to maintain ideal vine age and production.
How long do homegrown grapes last?
And remember, the older the vine, the better the story behind your homegrown grapes. Grapevines can live over 100 years but most commercial vines are replaced at 25-30 years when yields decline. Ideal conditions allow vines to live longer – cold winters and disease shorten lifespan.
How long does a grapevine grow a year?
This cycle repeats every growing season over the vine’s lifespan. In cooler climates, the entire growing season only lasts about 6 months. In hotter regions, vines may produce two crop cycles per year. A grapevine’s production capability changes over its lifetime.
How long does it take a vine to produce a grape?
Mature vines – Peak production occurs between 5-20 years when the vine strikes an ideal balance of yield vs. quality. Old vines – After 25-30 years, yields gradually decline as the vines redirect resources towards structure and the trunk rather than fruit. However, some argue grapes from old vines have more concentrated, complex flavors.
How old is a grape vine?
From there, when vines are between five and say, 15 years old, they are what we call young vines that will produce usually a lot of grapes, making wines that are simpler, more fruit driven and not very concentrated, just really youthful and punchy wines, but not much depth to them. Like an adolescent, if you wish, type of wine.
Why do Michigan Grape vines live so long?
Michigan grape vines, especially those in northern Michigan, often live a long time because of something our region gets a lot of: snow. It may seem surprising, but snow acts as a great insulator for vines during dormancy, keeping the ground at a good, stable temperature.