Why Gardening and Loving Wine can go Hand in Hand

A rose is a rose is ... an alarm system.
Grapevines are susceptible to a surprisingly large number of blights, molds and pests -- all of which represent dangers to both the vines themselves and their grapes. Winemakers need all the help they can get in fending off these attacks and getting the grapes to perfect ripeness for harvest. One of these tricks involves planting rose bushes at the end of a row of vines.
Rose bushes are even more susceptible than grapevines to a particular threat called powdery mildew. As a result, when planted at the end of a row, the roses function much like the smoke alarm in your house. If any of the roses start to die, the winemakers get advance warning that the grapes in that area may soon come under attack.
Of course, the added beauty that roses provide is no small bonus for both the winemakers and those who visit their vineyards.