Vine Bonsai

    The vine (Lat. Vitis) belongs to the Vitaceae family and includes around 70 species, mostly found in warm and temperate climate regions. here are about 4,000 known varieties of vine, differing from each other in botanical, agronomic, and agricultural characteristics. In Georgia alone, there are around 500 local varieties.
In its natural state, the vine is a climber, attaching itself to supports with tendrils. Its bark is brown and, over time, peels off the stem in strips.

The cultivation of vine dates back to ancient times, but in the world of bonsai, the vine is a rather rare and less popular choice. Typically, bonsai specialists do not consider the vine a suitable plant for this art form. The reason lies in its difficult shaping — due to the structure of the vine, it is nearly impossible to create a bonsai with classical aesthetics. As a result, with very, very rare exceptions, even online, it’s hard to find a beautiful bonsai made from vine.
However, for us — those living in Georgia — the vine holds special significance. That’s why, years ago, we decided to try creating vine bonsai, and at this stage, we are working on around ten vine bonsai trees. Most of them are from Imereti, from our native Baghdati. The majority of the vines we work with are generally considered too old by local winemakers, and that’s why they are often cut down.

   I can’t say that I consider the vine bonsai to be the best among my works, but the fact is that they usually receive the most attention and appreciation in the eyes of the Georgian audience.

This year, for the first time, we also pressed wine from the vine. I don’t expect it to be particularly delicious, since I don’t have much winemaking experience. But anything can happen — and those 400 milliliters of Tsolikouri from our bonsai might just surprise us in a pleasant way.