Viticulture & ampelography consulting to bridge science, tradition, & culture.

Tell the story of your wines beginning with the identity, history, & source of the vines.

Ampelography: The science of grapevine identification and description

Areas of Expertise

Ampelography - trainings & variety authentication

Propagation - consulting & mother vine sourcing

Research & technical viticulture - field work & trials

Science communication - presentations & writing

Custom Conservatory Service

Custom mother vine sourcing to establish genetically-diverse, heritage vineyards

Sustainability is inherent in diversity; diversity yields complexity. We are facing a global decline in biodiversity across all cultivated crops, including grapevines. Massale selection is the age-old practice of propagating from healthy, diverse mother vines with characteristics that complement your specific site, climate conditions, and winemaking objectives. This stands in contrast to clonal selection, where all vines originate from a single mother vine with the intention of uniformity. Clonal selection emerged in the 20th century as a solution to the phytosanitary problems that accompanied globalization and industrialization, but continued reliance solely on clones further erodes grapevine genetic diversity.

A massale selection revival is now taking place among prestigious producers, large and small. The first of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand, NSNZ offers a bespoke service of massale selected budwood for the establishment of custom vineyard conservatories.

Mostly pictures of grapes and dogs

View fullsize Intermission from pictures of grapes and dogs to share the exciting news that I became a Kiwi by grant last week 🥝🇳🇿🦅🇺🇲 And a good excuse to hop on a trend to boost engagement (can't imagine trying to explain to Papou that this is requisite for
View fullsize Virus season 🍇🦠🍁 It was a privilege to welcome the global experts in grapevine viruses to the ICVG conference in Napier this week. Did you know there are currently 104 described viruses in Vitis, more than any other fruit crop? However, only a sub
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View fullsize I'm pleased to announce that @nzwinegrowers have recognized me as a Grade 1 Ampelographer for the purposes of the Grafted Grapevine Standard (GGS), making me the only one in the country. Ampelography is the science of grapevine identification: matchi
View fullsize Happy New Year! I turned 33 on the 1st, and in a few weeks Natural Selection NZ turns 1 🎉 2025 was a formative year, personally and professionally: I met inspirational people across the globe who were incredibly generous with their knowledge (and wi
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View fullsize ⬅️ Swipe to reduce the size of this monster Sangiovese bunch! That’s what the team at @argiano1580 achieved in collaboration with CREA research institute, as part of their in-house clonal selection project. My last visit in Italy this summer wa
View fullsize Hard work paired with great conversation & washed down with 2016 Grange. It was an honor to join @aristologist and friends for this momentous day of planting vines for his special project. ~600 Carmenere, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Caberne
View fullsize "Sustainability is inherent in diversity," said my ecology professor ~15 years ago. It's an axiom that has guided my thinking ever since; relevant to systems in nature, agriculture, economics, politics, take your pick.  It’s
View fullsize Ampelography: ἂμπελος (vine) γραφὶα (description), the identification and classification of Vitis 🌿 There are many clues about a vine's identity at the tips of the shoots. The best time
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View fullsize Bridging tradition at the birthplace of Brunello @biondisantigreppo I returned to Europe this summer for the ampelography course & to visit growers working on massale & clonal selection projects; I wanted to observe vines during the growing
View fullsize The rebels & revolutionaries of Chianti: @isoleolena In the 1970s, Chianti was not producing quality wines. Visionary viticulturist Paolo De Marchi spearheaded change starting from the beginning: vine genetics. From 1976, De Marchi began observin
View fullsize Kia ora koutou 👋 I'm back home after my overseas adventure, laden down with learnings, inspiration, and incredible wine. An idea I refined over the course of the trip - to offer custom massale selection projects for vineyards seeking to develop prem
View fullsize Tillage I can get behind, if there's a horse in front @closdescapucins.chinon As a "horse girl," ploughing a vineyard with horses was something I always dreamed of trying. Thanks to my longtime French friend and fellow horse girl, Morgane,
View fullsize Applying the knowledge of today to the practices of yore @biscornus I was introduced to Nico by our mutual friend Fiona, who is the unofficial Mayor of the Loire. I met Nico for a late morning walk and talk on his Domaine in Razines. This extended i
View fullsize Pushing up the pink granite hill – literally and figuratively @domainechapel I felt like I had been catfished when I drove into Beaujolais last week. The rolling hills were carpets of orange (the color of grass freshly killed by herbicide), as
View fullsize Permaculture and PIWIs @thomas.niedermayr Immaculate, legitimate, complete "sustainability" is impossible to achieve in man-made agricultural systems, but at Thomas Niedermayr, I'd say they come as close as humanly possible. This 5 hecatr
View fullsize Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo - VCR VCR produces 80-100 million grafted grapevines a year. To put that in perspective, all the nurseries in NZ combined produce maybe 5% of that in a good year. VCR is not just a powerhouse in the production of grafted

About

Raquel Kallas has over a decade of viticultural experience in research, extension, and industry, spanning across three countries. She holds a Master’s degree from Cornell University and became recognized as New Zealand’s only Grade 1 Ampelographer in December 2025. Raquel gained an in-depth understanding of premium production practices while working for one of NZ’s most distinguished wineries, Craggy Range. She was initiated into the specialized world of grapevine propagation during her time as Technical Viticulturist at Riversun Nursery. Raquel’s unique blend of scientific and commercial knowledge allows her to apply modern insights to traditional practices, to the benefit of vine health, environmental sustainability, and exceptional wine quality.

Photo: Carl Gunderson