Grafting is a specialised skill and the person who practises it is known as an “annestino” (coming from the Tuscan version of the Italian verb, “innestare”). Historically speaking the annestino was an important figure in the world of viticulture because of the vital work of grafting vines after the Phylloxera epidemic in the 19th century. European Vitis vinifera varietals were grafted onto the rootstocks of Vitis aestivalis or other American native species that were resistant to the devastating root-feeding aphid.

This method is called the crown graft (innesto a corona). The branches were cut away from the tree and we were left with two stumps. A vertical slice was made around the circumference of the stump, between the heart (the “anima” or soul in Italian) and the exterior bark. The scion is sharpened at a slant and inserted into the prepared slit in the stump so that the cut face of the scion is in contact with the wood of the stump. The stump is bound tightly with raffia and painted over.

The hope is that we will have the mythical cherries next season but as the proverb says “L'annestaresta nel legare” – the grafting is in the tying – which I can only translate as the proof will be in the pudding, in our case, probably literally.

And, eleven years on, the cherries are every bit as good as promised…. here is the 2021 crop!