Knights Nursery
For nearly fifteen years, the name Euro Grapevine Nursery was synonymous in Canada with high-quality virus tested grapevines. Eckhard Kaesekamp chose to immigrate in 1987 from Germany to Ontario, Canada and brought with him Europe’s best practices in grapevine growing. He expanded his nursery into the region’s top source for grapevines and built many friendships among wine grape growers—friendships that still exist today.
In 2001, Eckhard had the opportunity to serve Northern California and the Napa Valley growing region, and he decided to take up that challenge. He continues his successful California nursery today and has differentiated his nursery with a singular focus—growing virus tested vines. He’s never forgotten how Canada embraced him and helped him get his start, and he still takes great pride in serving the Canadian grapevine market, providing growers with grapevines that are as healthy as possible.
Eckhard Kaesekamp
Eckhard Kaesekamp has differentiated his nursery with a singular focus – growing virus tested vines.
Eckhard uses the strictest testing process available. He tests each individual plant to ensure a clean, high-quality vine. This is unique from most of his competitors, who only test a sample of vines. He’s able to provide this level of testing with only minimal added cost to the customer. It’s a thorough, transparent process that represents a big difference between his independent family-owned nursery and large corporate nurseries.
His nursery has sold millions of vines, all of them with a strong record of success. No matter where the rootstock or bud wood originates from (certified blocks, or the new 2010 protocol), nothing beats the peace of mind that is brought about by individual plant testing before grafting season. This gives Eckhard’s customers the utmost confidence they have a clean product and helps to protect the enormous investment that vineyard owners make in their operations.
The vine testing process at Knights Grapevine Nursery—the successor to Eckhard’s original Canadian-based Euro Grapevine Nursery—is simple, but crucial. It starts with the selection of healthy vines. Then, samples are taken from each and every plant. Samples are sent to the lab for testing, and the lab sends back results. Once positive results are confirmed, grafting is performed.
Eckhard has access to the largest grapevine selection in the world, and since 2014, in response to the outbreak of red blotch, he has tested every plant for viruses. There are no exceptions. It’s this level of care for his product that makes his grapevines exceptional.
Whether it was through his original Euro Grapevine Nursery, based in Canada, or his thriving California-based Knights Grapevine Nursery, Eckhard Kaeskamp understands that protecting vines against viruses means nothing less than protecting a vineyard owner’s future.