Grape wood?

[bigsteel15]

Anybody know if grape vines that are extremely old and get very large "trunks" are actually considered wood and usable or not?

A buddy that is into wine making said that in CA there are vineyards dug up on a fairly regular basis that are 100+ years old to make way for homes. Apparently some of the trunks of these vines are in excess of 12" diameter.
He knows some of the owners of some vineyards so I wondered if grape actually makes a wood or a useless plant.

[leehljp]

I once saw a pen made from grape wood. If there are distinguishing marks about the grain or if it is cut so that the grain is emphasized in a special way, pen blanks of 3/4 x 3/4 x 6 inch would begin selling around $2.00 or more. The better the grain emphasis the more it is worth.

The uniqueness of being "grape wood" - pens could possibly be used to sell to a small winery, or given to a wine connoisseur, or even to make small goblets, plates or bowls. The fact that it is "grape" would give a good return on the money in a specialty market , or make for an interesting conversation piece, or a family heirloom.

Just my ideas.

[JR]

Brian,

Even very old vines usually have relatively small trunks, at least from what i've observed. The grower cuts them back every year to about 3 feet high, with no vine-y growth left after the harvest. Trunks look to be less than 6". It may be different in table-grape country, though, I don't know.

Hank's got a great idea, though, about specialty products. Almost every winery with a tasting room has a gift shop. I've seen soap made from grape products, napkin rings with a grape motif, etc. Pens, goblets, picture frames, cutting boards, would all be good ideas.

JR

[ufg8r85]

Or you could make a club on the lathe and then beat senseless a wine snob

[leehljp]

Or you could make a club on the lathe and then beat senseless a wine snob

Hahaha! Good one!