The Vines that Tie: Propagating an Heirloom Grapevine
My great grandfather was born in 1914 in Giles County, Tennessee. He was a school bus driver, carpenter, farmer, and quite the storyteller. Ever since any living member of our family can remember he has been growing grapes and making wine. He had a bit of a unique take on his wine recipes, mixing his brews with PBR, moonshine, and other alcohols to make his wines have a bit more kick. He passed away in 2006 and took much of his wine making skills and knowledge with him. One thing that he didn't take to the grave, however, were his grapevines. While his farm has sat relatively empty for a while, his grapevines have continued to quietly grow, rooted in old ground, despite neglect and changes around them. A piece of him remaining behind. This past December, we had the chance to go and take cuttings from those vines and are now working to root, propagate, and research more about them. We have a dozen clippings from a few dif...
