[jmheflin]

Hi HN!

Woke up to more news about wine country in California burning. :(

One of my recent projects involves growing wine grapes from vineyard cuttings. The end goal is to collect cane prunings from local vineyards and use them to produce high quality wine grapes in a greenhouse.

Please reach out if you know of anyone with a vineyard that may be willing to help develop this solution further. My email is jormanheflin at gmail.com. Read more about my project on hefvin.com and below:

When grape leaves drop in the fall, canes leftover from the previous growing season enter winter dormancy. 90% of these dormant canes are removed every winter to make room on the trellis for new growth. Vineyard workers usually chop or burn these cuttings and return them into the soil. Hefvin takes these prunings and uses them to grow grapes hydroponically, in a controlled environment. Then, we sell the grapes back to wineries.

We provide wineries with the highest quality grapes, which allows them to make excellent wines. By growing the grapes in a controlled environment, we reduce year-to-year variability in fruit quality, and maximize the flavor potential of every cluster.

See website for pictures

[quesera]

> Hefvin takes these prunings and uses them to grow grapes hydroponically, in a controlled environment.

Interesting! How does that square with the story that the distinctive qualities of specific grapes/vineyards is dependent on the regional and localized soil conditions and climate?

[jmheflin]

Please see my response to metanoia! I addressed this there.

[dejv]

So, I am actuall winemaker and wine grower myself and I am a bit sceptical about all of this.

Did you actually get any fruit already? What is the yield per plant? What are you going to do with the wood after the fruit is set: are you overwintering it or throwing away?

[jmheflin]

Thanks for your questions!

I have gotten fruit. About 50% of the cuttings I use produce fruit right now. I am still working to optimize the process. I throw the cuttings away after they produce fruit. More cuttings can be collected each year as canes are pruned in the vineyard.

[Twirrim]

> Vineyard workers usually chop or burn these cuttings and return them into the soil

At least in the case of chopping and returning to the soil, the nutrients are being recycled, available for the vine to use next season. Aren't you going to harm their nutrient cycle by taking the cuttings away?

[jmheflin]

Another great question. Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Larry Williams, a professor at UC Davis did a lot of work on this. He found that canes are not a significant contributor to vine nutrient status. Only 2% of the nitrogen that falls to the ground in canes ends up back in the vine the next year.

[rubidium]

There's just a single vine stalk shown in the photo. Any pictures of the fuller setup/basement? Interested in seeing what equipment it takes to get going.

[jmheflin]

I know, sorry. I am writing a post now that will detail the whole process with more pictures. The first thing you need to get started is the dormant cuttings. From there it doesn't take any specialized equipment.

[oefnak]

Maybe a better time for a Show HN would be when you've finished that write-up?

[notdang]

Sounds like a ponzi scheme