A rose is a rose

Stop and Smell the… Decoys? Why Vineyards Plant Roses

“A rose is a rose is a rose.”

Famous words by Gertrude Stein. But with all due respect to Gertrude, she clearly didn’t spend enough time day-drinking in European vineyards. Because in the wine world, a rose is rarely just a rose. Sometimes it’s a decoy. Sometimes it’s a warning beacon. Let’s get into it.

If you follow my travel blog, you know that a good portion of my itineraries revolve around one very important question: Where is the nearest vineyard? I’ve dragged myself (and my liver) through vines in France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal. I actually tried to visit one in Greece, too, but it got cut from the tour at the last minute. (Yes, I am still holding a grudge against that tour guide. No, I will not be letting it go anytime soon.)

One thing you’ll notice as you travel through these Old World wine regions is that, while they’ve adopted plenty of shiny new winemaking tech, they stubbornly hold onto a few fabulous old-school traditions.

My favorite? Planting a gorgeous rose bush right at the end of a row of grapevines.

But why do they do it?

1. Let’s be honest… they’re pretty.
First of all, who doesn’t like pretty? Let’s be real: vineyard operators know that a big chunk of their profit comes from thirsty tourists wandering around with a wine glass, taking pictures. Roses make the vineyards look idyllic.

2. The Ultimate Bug Decoy.
I’ll tell you who else likes pretty: bugs. Grapes are basically an all-you-can-eat buffet for vineyard pests. By planting big, bright, fragrant roses, the vines get a built-in distraction. The pests are drawn to the flashy flowers and leave those precious little wine grapes alone to ripen unmolested.

3. Rolling Out the Red Carpet for the Good Guys.
It works the other way, too. Roses attract the good bugs—the bees, the butterflies, and the helpful insects that naturally pollinate and protect the vineyard ecosystem.

4. The “Warning Beacon”
Remember how I called them a warning beacon? Back in the day, before fancy soil sensors and lab testing, winemakers used roses as an early warning system. Roses are highly sensitive and susceptible to the exact same diseases as grapevines—like powdery mildew and nasty fungal infections. But here is the kicker: the roses usually catch it first.

If a winemaker was walking the rows and saw their rose bushes looking a little sickly, it was a giant, red, flashing light to treat the vines before the entire vintage was ruined. They were the fabulous, floral canaries in the wine mine.

So the next time you are sipping a glass of Old World wine, pour a little out for the decoy roses doing the heavy lifting!

👇 Have you ever visited a vineyard that planted roses? Let me know in the comments (and tell me what you were drinking!)