🌿 Scion

A scion is the upper part of a vine of the desired variety, which is grafted onto a rootstock. The scion decides the variety: what the berries are, and what taste and colour the wine has. The rootstock provides the roots.

It is done like this. A short cutting with buds is taken from a vine of the wanted variety. It is cut at a suitable angle and joined to the rootstock. The joint is tied and protected so it can knit together. During the season the tissues grow together, and one plant results.

Why is this needed? The roots of many European varieties are vulnerable to phylloxera, a pest from America. So vines are planted on roots of resistant American species, and the scion of the wanted variety is grafted on top. The process itself is called grafting.

Knowing about the scion matters to nurseries and growers: the quality of the cutting decides how well the vine takes and what the crop will be. The same scion can be grafted onto different rootstocks, and the choice of rootstock decides which soils and climate the vine will grow in.