Here’s a great video from Mikes’ Backyard Nursery on how to propagate grape plants in their dormant state. The video goes into explaining the dormant season, why growers trim the vines in the first place, and all about the leaf nodes or bud breaks (and where to trim the cuttings).

The basic steps to propagate a grape plant trimming as a hardwood cutting:

• Trim the grapes during the dormant state only. Create cuttings with two or three leaf nodes each.
• Make cuts just below a leaf node at the bottom, and about 1 to 1 1/2 inches above the top leaf node.
• Apply root hormone before sticking them in potting soil or directly in the ground, 2 to 3 inches apart to allow for root growth.
• If you are planting in a container, be sure there is holes at the bottom for drainage.
• Place in a semi-protected area (outside) – you don’t want to baby them as they are going outside eventually.

Image of Merlot Grapes via Wikimedia User David Carrero Fernández-Baillo through CC BY-SA 3.0.