Imagine tasting three wines made from the same grape variety, with the same winemaking methods, and by the same winemaker at the same winery. That’s a lot of “sames.” You would think they would look, smell, and taste pretty much—you guessed it—the same.
But why produce three different wines, then? Because there was one important difference between them: the grapevines are three clones of Pinot Noir.
During an online seminar and tasting with Bouchaine Vineyard’s talented winemaker of nearly a decade, Chris Kajani, I sampled Pinot Noirs made from three distinct clones: Swan, Pommard, and Calera. The vine variety—the clone type— has unique genetic characteristics that make the wine distinctive. It was a fascinating look at the magic, the combination of artistry and science, in winemaking and tasting three clonal Pinot Noirs from Bouchaine Vineyards. It helped me understand the hows and whys of using clones in the vineyards.
Clones in the Vineyards (Not like Dolly the Sheep!)
So, what does “clone” mean when it comes to wine? In viticulture, a clone is made by taking a cutting with buds from a grapevine (the “mother” plant) and planting it to grow a new vine, making a genetically identical copy.
Why make clones? A clone is a carefully chosen cutting from a single-parent plant. Cloning high-quality vines preserves and passes on desirable traits such as disease resistance, flavor profiles, and growth habits in new plantings.
If the clone is genetically identical to its parent, how can the vine it make produce a
This Article was originally published on The Wine Chef
