SEND IN THE CLONES

Clones: Winemaker’s Guide to the Galaxy

“Your clones are impressive. You must be very proud.” -Obi-Wan-Kenobi

W

hat do winemakers, Vincent Van Gogh, and Star Wars have in common? A lot.

The topic of clones, in regards to grapevines, is perhaps the most misunderstood topic in the world of wine…and for good reason. It is my hope this article will serve as an aid in demystifying the topic and clarifying the more complicated aspects of what clones are and how they can be used in the winemaking process.

But first, what is cloning?

If you’ve had a high school biology class or, for that matter, seen Star Wars, you’ll probably have a general understanding of what a clone is. For the sake of clarity, clones are an exact genetic copy of something else or, as Merriam-Websters says, “genetically identical cells or organisms.” In terms of winemaking, we’re not referring to an army of identical soldiers clad in polished white armor defending the galaxy from evil… we're talking about grapevines. While the process of cloning a grapevine does sound revolutionary, in fact, it is far more ancient than people realize. And wine grapes aren't the only plants capable of being cloned. Olives, dates, and figs can all be cloned and have been for thousands of years. But why and how do you clone a grapevine? Well, I’m glad you asked.

Say, for instance, you discover a vine that consistently produces 100-point-rated wine. You’d probably want to plant more of the same vine, right? Obviously, this is a fanciful example, but who doesn’t want more 100-point-rated wine? To clone the vine, you’ll want to follow three simple steps:

1. Acquire cuttings from the plant you want to clone 2. Stick the cuttings in the ground 3. Water and watch it grow

Voila. You’ve cloned a vine. By cultivating vines from cuttings rather than seeds, you preserve the genetic material and produce a plant identical to the mother vine from which it came. Planting by seed, however, will result in a new version of the grape or a completely new variety altogether. And planting by seed is how we grow and develop more clones to work with. However, new versions of a grape arise from mutations in the vineyard. Pinot Grigio, for example, is technically a mutation of Pinot Noir that lost its ability to accumulate color in its skin. The Muscat grape has thousands of variations. Why? Because Muscat is one of the oldest grape varieties in the world, allowing the grape more time to develop new clonal variations via genetic mutations.

There can be thousands of different clones of any given variety. Pinot Noir has over 1000+ variations. On the UC Davis Plant Foundation Service, you can browse through hundreds of clonal selections of any given grape. Some universities, like Michigan State, have breeding programs that develop new clonal selections. Some will even trademark and request royalties from nurseries that sell these clones to winemakers and vineyard owners. Crazy right? So what's the big deal? If universities are requesting royalties from clones, there's obviously something incredibly valuable about them.

Why should you clone?

Because there are literally hundreds of variations of any particular grape, each clone will possess its own unique qualities and characteristics. Some are more astringent, marked by increased intensity of fruit and aromatics, earlier ripening, producing smaller berries, or possibly even resistance to specific diseases. By themselves, single clones can produce good quality grapes, but sometimes the wine made from those grapes might be “missing something.” Winemakers can fix this by blending several grape varieties together (Bordeaux blends are the perfect example) to help attain more complexity. While winemakers can blend many grape varieties to create a fantastically complex product, blending clones of a single variety will retain the best qualities of that particular grape and, therefore, produce a wine with the desired “varietal characteristics.”

It doesn’t take much to see the inherent value of using multiple clones for the winemaking process. Discovering new variants of a particular grape, and cloning them via cuttings, will ultimately help boost your quality and create consistency in your varietal wines. Great winemakers are very careful in selecting which clones best fit their winemaking program, ensuring the blend has the capacity to highlight the best qualities of each clone. This might be comparable to Vincent Van Gough, who was known for applying several different dynamic qualities to his paintings. In his Starry Night, the Dutchman not only uses a variety of colors that blend well together but also particular brush strokes to enhance the perceived texture of the surface of the canvas. These qualities, both color, and texture function separately through a complementary relationship to add a completely new dimension to the painting, an apt comparison when describing the blending of clones.

As we continue to progress and develop new clones for winemaking, the relative quality is sure to improve. This is great news. This means winemakers can craft premium wines that consistently highlight the best qualities of a single grape variety. Just like Van Gogh and his painting, winemakers can approach their art in a similar manner by knitting together the best qualities of each clone to create more consistent, exciting, complex, and harmoniously balanced wines.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jack is a writer, producer and content creator. At the age of 17, the Oregon native began studying winemaking under Stephen Reustle. Jack’s work has been featured in several publications, including Wine Folly and the American Wine Society Journal. Find him on the Wine Heretics podcast and at wineheretics.com