Vineyard Production Research Articles

Roots of resilience: Optimizing microbe‐rootstock interactions to enhance vineyard productivity

Societal Impact StatementGrape production relies signifcantly on agrochemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, to sustain vine health and yield. However, excessive or improper use of these inputs leads to detrimental environmental effects, including soil degradation, water contamination, and biodiversity decline. To address this, research must explore sustainable alternatives. Enhancing the symbiotic interactions between grapevine rootstocks and beneficial soil microorganisms offers a viable pathway. By fostering these natural relationships, producers and scientists can develop environmentally sustainable viticulture practices that strengthen vine resilience without compromising productivity. This approach also supports the broader transition to regenerative, ecologically balanced agricultural systems.SummaryThe productivity and resilience of vineyards are influenced by complex interactions between grapevine rootstocks and the surrounding soil microbiome. Emerging research has highlighted the pivotal role of these microbe‐rootstock alliances in modulating nutrient acquisition, water‐use efficiency, and pathogen resistance. By leveraging the symbiotic potential of beneficial soil microorganisms, viticulturists can optimize vineyard management practices to enhance overall productivity, stability, and sustainability. Through the strategic selection of rootstocks with enhanced mycorrhizal associations and the targeted introduction of plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria, growers can support the grapevine in adapting to challenging soil conditions. Aditionally, manipulating the rhizosphere microbiome, through techniques such as biofertilization and reverse microdialysis, can foster the development of robust, disease‐suppressive communities that safeguard the vines against biotic and abiotic stressors. Integrating these microbiome‐centric approaches into comprehensive vineyard management strategies, and potentially in future rootstock genetic improvement programs, holds promise for improving grape yield, quality, and the long‐term resilience of viticultural systems.

Vineyard maturity increases arbuscular mycorrhizal and decreases plant pathogen fungal relative abundance in bulk soil across a 1,000 km Chilean gradient

Societal Impact StatementWine production has a significant impact on the global economy. Despite this, the microbial composition of the terroir has not been studied sufficiently, particularly in the southern hemisphere. Here, we investigated how bulk soil fungal communities are affected by several abiotic and biotic factors across 1,000 km of Chilean vineyards. We found that geographical distance was the main driver of vineyard soil fungal communities. Irrespective of variety, older vineyards host a higher relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and a lower relative abundance of plant pathogenic fungi. This result could lead to significant recommendations on when to apply AMF‐based inoculants.Summary The microbial dimension of the terroir has been increasingly recognized as an essential factor determining vineyard productivity and quality. Despite this, few studies have analyzed the factors affecting soil fungal communities of vineyards in the southern hemisphere. Across a 1,000 km gradient encompassing 34 Chilean vineyards, we investigated the effects of grapevine variety, geographical distance, maturity, and soil chemical properties on the diversity and composition of soil fungi. We implemented standard soil chemical analyses and ITS‐based DNA metabarcoding of bulk soil. We found that the total soil fungal composition was significantly affected by geographical distance but not by grapevine variety and maturity. Soil chemical dissimilarity also significantly affected soil fungal composition. When analyzing specific fungal guilds, we found a contrasting successional pattern: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal relative abundance was significantly higher at medium and old‐maturity vineyards compared with young vineyards, on which plant pathogenic fungi had a markedly lower abundance. Our results present several caveats: the molecular marker was not the most commonly used for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, bulk soil was sampled (instead of roots), and all abundances were relative. Still, this study constitutes one of the most extensive studies on soil fungi – both for vineyards and Chile – and might have practical implications, as knowing the drivers of fungal and mycorrhizal biodiversity can inform agricultural management decisions.

Dynamics of Energy Fluxes in a Mediterranean Vineyard: Influence of Soil Moisture

Accurate evaluation of grapevine water use is essential for optimizing water management and maximizing grapevine yield and berry quality in Mediterranean climates. Understanding the water and heat flux dynamics in a vineyard during grapevine berry maturation is of utmost importance. This study focuses on evaluating sensible and latent energy fluxes at the canopy, the soil beneath the canopy, and the interrow areas. The primary objective is to develop a model framework for accurately estimating these energy fluxes, contributing to a better understanding of their behavior during berry ripening. The model’s accuracy was assessed by comparing the estimated fluxes with those measured by an eddy-covariance system installed at a reference height of three meters in the experimental vineyard. This validation step was essential to confirm the model’s ability to capture the intricate energy flux dynamics of the vineyard, especially during grape maturation. The results revealed a high level of agreement between the observed and estimated fluxes, confirming the model’s reliability. This comprehensive evaluation of energy fluxes provides valuable insights for optimizing irrigation strategies. By doing so, this study contributes to improving grape quality, ensuring sustainable water resource use, and ultimately enhancing vineyard productivity in arid and water-scarce regions.

Unraveling the key molecular events of Pinot noir berry ripening under varying crop load

Aligned to exploring the physiological and molecular complexity of grape berry development, there is a need to characterize the influence of the source:sink relationships on the genetic regulation of fruit composition. Crop load, as defined by the amount of fruit produced per unit vegetative growth at dormancy, is a common measure of source:sink relationships used to evaluate vineyard production efficiency. We studied the impact of varying crop load on the transcriptome and metabolome of Pinot noir grape berries by comparing the development and ripening of fruit grown on vines with either 50 % or 75 % of their grape clusters removed immediately following fruit set compared to unthinned vines for three consecutive vintages. A clear impact on the general phenylpropanoid pathway resulting in a redistribution between stilbenes and anthocyanins was revealed under varying crop loads and consistent with the transcriptomic profiles of the corresponding branches. Moreover, we identified genes, such as LBDIa3 and AG2, modulated by crop load around veraison, representing putative transcriptional key triggers of the berry ripening phase responding to differences in the vine source:sink ratio generated by the application of cluster thinning. Genes, specifically EXPA1 and EXPA18, involved in softening and other crucial events of ripening initiation responded to crop load and likely influenced the progression of the ripening process. Beyond the major impacts represented by a shift of the onset and completion of ripening, we were able to highlight more subtle effects of the crop load, related to the rate at which the molecular and metabolic changes occur. This study asserts that grape metabolism and transcriptome are remarkably flexible, and that manipulations such as cluster thinning induce extensive, genome-wide changes in expression during berry development. The insights gained here pave the way to progress towards the construction of robust models depicting the molecular network that characterizes berry development and the impact of crop load on its molecular regulation.

Sustainability in the winemaking industry and the assessment of grape seed characteristics during processing: Evidence from Azerbaijan

In the context of Azerbaijan’s evolving winemaking landscape, this study investigates the sustainability of viticulture with a particular focus on grape seeds, which are crucial for grapevine propagation, oil extraction, and overall vineyard health. The research aimed to examine the morphological, technological, and biochemical characteristics of grape seeds to optimise grape production methods and promote sustainable viticultural practices. To achieve this, seed samples from twelve grape varieties, both local and introduced, were carefully collected and analysed under varying irrigation conditions, including both irrigated and rainfed settings, to allow for a comprehensive assessment. The investigation revealed significant effects of irrigation on seed properties. Specifically, seeds from irrigated grapes were found to be larger, heavier, and richer in oil content compared to those from rainfed grapes. Detailed analyses showed that the nitrogen content of the seeds ranged from 0.96% to 1.46%, cellulose content varied from 18.8% to 25.3%, ash content ranged from 1.9% to 3.1%, nitrogenous compounds fluctuated between 5.5% and 7.2%, and non-nitrogen extractive substances registered between 16.6% and 22.0%. Notably, correlations between seed properties and the efficiency of cold press oil extraction were identified, providing valuable insights. This research ultimately contributes to the advancement of sustainable viticulture practices in Azerbaijan, ensuring the long-term health and productivity of vineyards within the region

New problems for old vineyards: Mitigating the impacts of yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) in a historical wine-producing area

Traditional small-sized vineyards are especially sensitive to different impacts, including the arrival of new pests. The adults of the yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina), an invasive alien species present in the Iberian Peninsula since 2010, feed on sugary foods, causing crop losses in vineyards. However, present management techniques for the control of V. velutina are limited, and they do not provide effective control in agricultural settings. This work aims to evaluate the use of an exclusion system in a traditional non-mechanized vineyard of a highly invaded area by V. velutina in NW Spain (Protected Geographical Indication of Betanzos, Galicia) as a method to mitigate the damage caused by hornets. Anti-hail nets were used in a factorial design experiment with groups of netted and unnetted vines of two white wine cultivars in order to address the vineyard production loss. In particular, we aim to 1) asses the effectiveness of anti-hail netting on preventing grape yield loss, 2) assess the impact of anti-hail netting on grape ripening and incidence of bunch fungal infection, and 3) study the potential relationship between the damage caused by V. velutina and grape fungal diseases. Results show that the tested exclusion system increases the crop yield, since it prevents effectively both the damage caused by hornets and birds. No significant correlation between the damage caused by V. velutina and the incidence of bunch fungal diseases was found in either cultivar. However, netting increased slightly the final sugar content in one of the cultivars, as well as the incidence of bunch fungal damage. We discuss the management implications of this exclusion method within the framework of agricultural land abandonment and the loss of traditional landscapes.

Foliar applications improves grapevine plant cold hardiness

Understanding and enhancing the cold hardiness of vines is crucial for viticulture, as it directly impacts the sustainability and productivity of vineyards in diverse climatic regions. This study, therefore, meticulously examined grapevine responses to various treatments and sampling times, revealing nuanced dynamics in cold tolerance, physiological parameters, and growth outcomes. Our study found that treatments like K2SO4 significantly enhanced grapevine cold hardiness. Specifically, K2SO4 showed high R² values, indicating a substantial improvement in low-temperature hardiness for primary buds and in processes like bud burst and sprouting. Our results also revealed significant differences in cold hardiness across various treatments and sampling times, with K2SO4 leading to the highest LT50 value for primary buds. Additionally, in single-bud cuttings, K2SO4 application improved viability rates, root and shoot growth, and rooting rates, particularly observed in January. Growth parameters in single-bud cuttings further illustrated the impact of treatments, with the viability rate of primary buds being 61.5 % in the K2SO4 application and 62.0 % in the CaCl2 application. The highest root length of 2.5 cm and shoot length of 3.4 cm, along with a rooting rate of 61.0 %, root scale of 1.4, root number of 6.9, and basal callus rate of 24.6 % were obtained from the K2SO4 application. Our research found that the applications of K2SO4 and CaCl2 increased the cold hardiness of the buds and phloem tissue of the vine by approximately 1 °C compared to the control. It has been concluded that K2SO4 and CaCl2 applications during development can reduce the cold injury rate and economic losses in vines in areas with high risk of winter cold damaging events. The comprehensive findings of this study offer actionable insights that can significantly contribute to the refinement of vineyard management practices, promoting optimal grapevine performance and hardiness in the face of varying cold conditions.

Effects of vineyard production level on ‘Tempranillo’ grape and wine characteristics

Effects of vineyard production level on ‘Tempranillo’ grape and wine characteristics

A Field Survey of Grapevine Germplasm Susceptible to Eutypa Dieback

Eutypa dieback of grapevine is a trunk disease that impacts vineyard productivity worldwide. Grape germplasm is typically evaluated for resistance to Eutypa dieback through controlled inoculations in the greenhouse, although the high level of replication required of this approach (40 plants per genotype) can limit the total number of genotypes evaluated. An alternative approach is to evaluate naturally infected genotypes in the field. We rated the incidence and severity of vines with the diagnostic leaf symptoms of Eutypa dieback and the incidence of mortality among such vines of 973 Vitis vinifera accessions (planted in duplicate) at the US Department of Agriculture, National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Davis, CA, USA, which is maintained as a living collection for grape research. Across 3 years and spanning a total of 5 years (2011, 2013, and 2015), 120 accessions had leaf symptoms in one or more years (“susceptible accessions”). Courbu blanc [Davis Vitis identification tag (DVIT) 2313], Frankenthal blanc (DVIT 2115), and Pinot gris (DVIT 0907) were the only accessions with leaf symptoms each year. Accessions with the most severe leaf symptoms (a rating of 5 points) were Chasselas Napoleon (DVIT 0375) and Queen of the Vineyard (DVIT 0496). We identified susceptible accessions—namely, those related to ‘Chasselas’ and ‘Muscat’—with a shared genetic background, based on a previous single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping effort of the collection. Especially for grapevine, a long-lived perennial that is meant to produce a crop for decades, knowledge of susceptible accessions and their pedigrees can help inform breeding programs and studies on the host response to infection.

Farklı Amerikan Asma Anaçları ve Kalecik Karasi Üzüm Çeşidinin Aşılama Kombinasyonu ile Elde Edilen Fidanların Kalite Özellikleri ve Randımanlarının Saptanması

Cultivation on American grapevine rootstocks, which have been found to be an effective solution against phylloxera pest, which is the biggest threat to vineyard areas, has brought along the necessity of examining the affinity between rootstock and scion. In this regard, to increase the amount of current vineyard production by adding a new research to the studies examining the affinity situation in the literature, scions belonging to Kalecik Karası grape variety were grafted on 10 different rootstocks (41B, 5BB, 1103P, SO4, 99R, 1616C, 1613C, 5C, Ramsey ve Harmoney) by omega bench grafting method, and sapling yield and quality characteristics were examined in greenhouse conditions for two years in duplicate. After the measurements carried out in both years, it was determined that the average degree of callus formation of the combinations formed trough different rootstocks was 3.45, the length of the saplings was 10.90 cm, the number of leaves was 5.71 and the total sapling yield was 78%.

Benchmarking Water-Limited Yield Potential and Yield Gaps of Shiraz in the Barossa and Eden Valleys

Background and Aims. Vineyard performance is impacted by water availability including the amount and seasonality of rainfall, evapotranspiration, and irrigation volume. We benchmarked water-limited yield potential (Yw), calculated yield gaps as the difference between Yw and actual yield, and explored the underlying environmental and management causes of these gaps. Methods and Results. The yield and its components in two sections of 24 Shiraz vineyards were monitored during three vintages in the Barossa zone (GI). The frequency distribution of yield was L-shaped, with half the vineyards below 5.2 t·ha−1, and an extended tail of the distribution that reached 24.9 t·ha−1. The seasonal ratio of actual crop evapotranspiration and reference evapotranspiration was below 0.48 in 85% of cases, with a maximum of 0.65, highlighting a substantial water deficit in these vineyards. A boundary function relating actual yield and seasonal rainfall was fitted to quantify Yw. Yield gaps increased with an increasing vine water deficit, as quantified by the carbon isotope composition of the fruit. The yield gap was smaller with higher rainfall before budburst, putatively favouring early-season vegetative growth and allocation to reproduction, and with higher rainfall between flowering and veraison, putatively favouring fruit set and berry growth. The gap was larger with higher rainfall and lower radiation between budburst and flowering. The yield gap increased linearly with vine age between 6 and 33 yr at a rate of 0.3 t·ha−1·yr−1. The correlation between yield gap and yield components ranked bunch weight ≈ berries per bunch > bunch number > berry weight; the minimum to close the yield gap was 185,000 bunches ha−1, 105 g bunch−1, 108 berries bunch−1, and 1.1 g berry−1. Conclusions. Water deficit and vine age were major causes of yield gaps. Irrigation during winter and spring provides an opportunity to improve productivity. The cost of dealing with older, less productive vines needs to be weighed against the rate of increase in yield gap with vine age. Significance of the Study. A boundary function to estimate water-limited yield potential returned viticulturally meaningful yield gaps and highlighted potential targets to improve vineyard productivity.

UAV-based individual plant detection and geometric parameter extraction in vineyards.

Accurately characterizing vineyard parameters is crucial for precise vineyard management and breeding purposes. Various macroscopic vineyard parameters are required to make informed management decisions, such as pesticide application, defoliation strategies, and determining optimal sugar content in each berry by assessing biomass. In this paper, we present a novel approach that utilizes point cloud data to detect trunk positions and extract macroscopic vineyard characteristics, including plant height, canopy width, and canopy volume. Our approach relies solely on geometric features and is compatible with different training systems and data collected using various 3D sensors. To evaluate the effectiveness and robustness of our proposed approach, we conducted extensive experiments on multiple grapevine rows trained in two different systems. Our method provides more comprehensive canopy characteristics than traditional manual measurements, which are not representative throughout the row. The experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of our method in extracting vital macroscopic vineyard characteristics, providing valuable insights for yield monitoring, grape quality optimization, and strategic interventions to enhance vineyard productivity and sustainability.

Soil Erosion vs. Vineyard Productivity: The Case of the Aglianico del Vulture DOC and DOCG Areas (Southern Italy)

Soil erosion in European Mediterranean vineyards is the main impact factor of uncontrolled solute and nutrient transport, degradation of soil structure, and loss of organic matter, which are key controlling factors in grape productivity and quality. The relationship between soil loss and grape productivity in the Aglianico DOC and DOCG areas of Southern Italy has been studied. Erosion values estimated through the RUSLE model were compared with grape productivity from 2011 to 2019. The obtained results show a negative correlation between the two parameters. The amounts of soil loss for different vineyard slope classes were also considered. The erosion values increase by an order of magnitude moving from the gentle slopes (0–5°) to the steeper ones (>30°), typical of hilly and mountainous areas. The planned shift in the future of vineyards towards these altitudinal bands could prove to be uneconomical if conservative techniques are not carried out.

Enhancing irrigation effectiveness in vineyards with innovative technologies

Enhancing irrigation effectiveness in vineyards with innovative technologies Professor Pete W. Jacoby, from Washington State University, walks us through enhancing irrigation effectiveness in vineyards with innovative technologies like automated irrigation. As growers worldwide struggle to sustain vineyard production during hot summer temperatures and limited water resources, emerging technologies in the form of electronic soil moisture sensors coupled with automated irrigation may provide some opportunities for consideration. Using soil moisture sensors can aid in irrigation scheduling to sustain crops such as wine grapes to avoid heat damage to vines and impacts on fruit yield ahead of visual effects on the vine.

Phenotyping grapevine cultivars for resistance to Eutypa dieback

Eutypa dieback of grapevine is a trunk disease that affects vineyard productivity. Wood symptoms of this disease develop consistently in greenhouse-grown plants, after inoculation of woody stems with the causal fungus Eutypa lata. Wood symptoms are a common measure of host cultivar resistance and E. lata isolate virulence. Leaf symptoms of the disease also develop in the greenhouse, although reports of low correlations between severity of wood and leaf symptoms (for some cultivars and isolates) indicate that a definitive procedure is required for evaluating cultivar resistance. Three ‘phenotyping assays’, replicated with two E. lata isolates (BX1-10 and M14), were assessed for quantifying resistance of a set of Vitis vinifera cultivars (‘Black Corinth’, ‘Carignane’, ‘Husseine’, ‘Merlot’, ‘Muscat Hamburg’, ‘Palomino’, ‘Peloursin’, ‘Primitivo’, and ‘Thompson Seedless’). The methods were: Assay 1 (leaf and woody-stem symptoms measured 1 year post-inoculation on plants propagated from rooted, dormant cuttings); Assay 2 (green stem symptoms measured 4 months post-inoculation on plants propagated from rooted, green cuttings); and Assay 3 (leaf symptoms measured 6 weeks post-inoculation on plants propagated from rooted, dormant cuttings). High rates of mortality among some cultivars (‘Merlot’) in Assay 3 confounded results based on leaf symptoms. Results from Assays 1 and 2 were more consistent with each other, especially for the most resistant cultivars [‘Merlot’ and ‘Primitivo’ (aka ‘Zinfandel’)]’, than they were for these cultivars in Assay 3. Compared to resistant cultivars, there was more variation in the most susceptible cultivar, including ‘Black Corinth’, ‘Carignane’, ‘Husseine’, and ‘Thompson Seedless’, regardless of the assay. Assay 1 with isolate BX1-10 was the most repeatable and provided data on wood and leaf symptoms for cultivar comparisons. Assay 2 was the most rapid, and gave results similar to those from Assay 1. Assay 2 also accommodated germplasm that can only be propagated from green cuttings.

ИЗУЧЕНИЕ АГРОБИОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ И ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ОСОБЕННОСТЕЙ ПРОТОКЛОНОВ СОРТА КОКУР БЕЛЫЙ

The results of the study of agrobiological indicators of elite protoclones of the Kokur Beliy grape variety under the conditions of the Alushta valley are presented. It has been established that elite protoclones differ from control bushes in higher rates of fruiting and fruitfulness. In terms of the average weight of the bunch, the selected protoclones exceed the control, on average, by 1.26 times. The productivity of the shoot in terms of the fresh mass of the bunch, on average, is 298.8 g/shoot and is characterized as very high compared to the control. The physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics of wines from protoclones of the Kokur Beliy variety harvested in 2022 have been studied. The expediency of introducing selected protoclones of the Kokur Beliy variety into the vineyard production of the Southern Coast of Crimea has been substantiated.

Foliar Applications of Calcium, Silicon and Their Combination: A Tool to Improve Grape Composition and Quality

Foliar nutrient sprays are broadly used in commercial agriculture. To date, the application of Ca and Si has been little explored in vineyard production but may lead to positive responses at various levels. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of supplying single or combined calcium (Ca, 120 mM) and silicon (Si, 120 mM) sprays in Tempranillo grape composition. Foliar treatment with Ca + Si foliar enhanced all families of aromatic compounds, whereas single Ca and Si sprays induced lower effects. Regarding phenolic compounds, all foliar treatments led to minor effects. However, all three foliar Ca and Si treatments increased the total grape amino acid content. Consequently, the application of combined Ca and Si sprays to a vineyard is recommended as a tool for improving grape quality.

Sustainable Viticulture in the Valdepeñas Protected Designation of Origin: From Soil Quality to Management in Vitis vinifera

Historically, the productivity–quality dualism has been fundamentally oriented toward productivity in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), and more specifically, in the Valdepeñas Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Today this trend is balanced and involves another factor: the environment. From this perspective, soil quality conservation and enhancement is one of the major sustainable viticulture goals today. This study explores soil characteristics and identifies the diversity in soils in the study area for vineyard production in the terroir context, synthesizing old and new trends in applying vineyard cultivation techniques in relation to their sustainability and identifying knowledge gaps in the management of novel practices to improve soil productivity and grape quality. The effects of integrated, organic, and traditional biodynamic management are discussed. The main conclusion is that a careful retrospective analysis of the grape-growing techniques that have dominated in the past century (soil cultivation, fertilization, etc.) is not unfavorable from a sustainability point of view. The study outlines and emphasizes that, despite the suitability of soils, it is necessary to evolve with new methodologies, but without forgetting ancestral techniques.

Adequacy of rootstock and planting spacing for cv. Sangiovese in high altitude region of Santa Catarina

The choice of rootstock is fundamental for the productive success of the vineyard, as it influences the vigor characteristics of the canopy variety requires the adaptation of planting density. The objective of this work was to define a rootstock and spacing that best contribute to the productive characteristics of the Sangiovese cultivar in a high-altitude region of Santa Catarina. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, in a 5 × 3 factorial scheme, the treatments consisted of the combination of five rootstocks (101–14 Mgt, Harmony, IAC 572, Paulsen 1103, and VR 043–43) with the Sangiovese canopy cultivar and three plant spacings (1,0, 1,2 and 1,5 m). The phenological cycle of the plants, as well as the productive and quality characteristics of the grapes, were evaluated during the 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 harvests. The 101–14 Mgt rootstock presented the highest precocity of sprouting and the longest cycle until maturation. IAC 572 provided greater vigor to the canopy in all three evaluation harvests, resulting in decreased productivity. The highest total acidity was attributed to the VR 043–43 rootstock in all evaluated cycles. Based on the obtained data, it was concluded that the IAC 572, Paulsen 1103 and VR 043–43 rootstocks delay sprouting, the spacing of 1,0 and 1,2 m between plants increase vineyard productivity, the soluble solids content is higher when using the 101–14 Mgt, Harmony and Paulsen 1103 rootstocks, and the anthocyanin content is increased by 101–14 Mgt and Harmony rootstocks.

Performance of ‘Chambourcin’ Winegrape on 10 Different Root Systems in Southern Missouri, USA

In the midwestern United States, especially Missouri, winegrape (Vitis sp.) growers mostly plant interspecific hybrids, which are well adapted to the climate and pests of the region. ‘Chambourcin’ (an interspecific French-American hybrid) is one of the most widely planted winegrape cultivars in the area. It is usually grown as own-rooted (nongrafted) vines because the economic and horticultural benefits of grafting this cultivar to rootstocks have not been well developed. Further, few significant winegrape rootstock evaluations have been conducted in the midwestern United States, including evaluations of newer rootstocks developed and released by private and public breeding programs. The aim of this study was to assess the potential value of using rootstocks in ‘Chambourcin’ production in southern Missouri, with implications for the midwestern United States. Fruit yield, vine growth, and fruit composition metrics from ‘Chambourcin’ on 10 different root systems [own-rooted, and grafted to rootstocks ‘Couderc 3309’, ‘Couderc 1616’, ‘Paulsen 1103’, ‘Sélection Oppenheim 4’, ‘Millardet et de Grasset 420A’, ‘Millardet et de Grasset 101-14’, ‘Kingfisher’, ‘Matador’ (all Vitis sp.), and ‘Gloire de Montpellier’ riverbank grape (Vitis riparia)] in an experimental vineyard in southwest Missouri were compared. Following three establishment years (2008–10), data were collected across four growing and vintage seasons (2011–14). Yield components evaluated included total fruit production, clusters per vine, cluster weight, berry weight, weight of cane prunings, and crop load. Petiole mineral analysis was conducted in 2011, 2013, and 2014. Grape juice attributes measured were soluble solids concentration, juice pH, titratable acidity (TA), potassium (K), anthocyanins, tannins, phenolics, and organic acids. When simply comparing grafted vs. ungrafted vines, grafting generally induced higher plant vigor and a higher pH in the juice, whereas the other parameters did not differ. When the performances were compared among the 10 root systems, vines grafted to ‘Couderc 3309’ had higher yields compared with vines grafted to six other rootstocks and own-rooted vines. Grafting to ‘Millardet et de Grasset 101-14’ induced higher cluster weight compared with the other rootstocks. The ‘Millardet et de Grasset 420A’ rootstock promoted a higher pH and TA as well as a higher concentration of K in the juice, and ‘Paulsen 1103’ also promoted high pH, TA, and malic acid in the juice, and higher concentrations of phosphorous (P) and K in the petiole compared with most rootstocks. ‘Gloire de Montpellier’ induced a lower P content in the petiole and a higher tartaric/malic acid ratio. Rootstock use can strongly influence some vineyard production metrics as well as nutrient uptake and K levels in the juice (the latter further influencing juice pH). The results of this study provide insights into the complex viticultural and enological interactions resulting from the use of rootstocks in hybrid winegrape production in Missouri, USA.