Trellises are one of the best ways to support growing plants — they provide a framework for the plant to lean against and direct its growth, making it easier to harvest fruit clusters later.
Grapevines are the best example of plants that should be grown using a trellis. If you want to grow your own, you may be confused by the many types of trellises there are for grapes.
Each grapevine and grower has different needs, so there is no single best grapevine trellis.
In this guide, we’ve collected a list of grapevine trellis ideas for your grapevine. We cover different grape varieties, climates, and why one trellis system might be better for your situation than others.
Our Top Picks
Best Fence Trellis
Sumery Nature Willow Expandable Trellis Fence
Best Decorative Iron Trellis
Amagabeli 60″ x 18″ Rustproof Sturdy Black Iron Trellis
Most Exquisite
OUTOUR French-Style Birdcage Gazebo
Best Wooden Arbor-Style Trellis:
Yaheetech Decorative Wooden Arch Arbor Trellis
Best Trellis Netting:
VIVOSUN Heavy-Duty Polyester Trellis Netting
Why Do You Need a Grape Vine Trellis?
Grapes are stem-tendril climbing plants that grow upwards even with their weak stems. They grow with the support of walls, fences, and nearby structures. Climbers often develop special twinges, tendrils, or strong roots to hook onto objects and grow along them vertically.
However, letting climbers grow wildly can make them vulnerable to diseases, unbalanced growth, and even result in less produce. Properly cultivating a healthy vine requires a proper grape trellis design to support and optimize production.
A grape vine trellis:
- Supports the grapevine.
- Supports the weight of huge clusters.
- Promotes air circulation through the vine canopy, preventing disease.
- Spreads the vine cover to ensure all parts are exposed to the sun.
- Makes harvesting easy.
Are you ready to start your backyard vineyard? Order your vines and garden supplies first!
Best Grape Vine Trellis Systems for the Backyard Gardener
The best grape vine trellis is often the most accommodating for your chosen variety of grapes. Most mature vines grow one to four feet a year and produce a large or small quantity of fruit clusters, depending on several factors.
To understand the work involved in cultivating your own backyard grape trellis, check out our guides to pruning grapevines and training grapevines.
Best Fence-Style Trellis
Sumery Nature Willow Expandable Trellis Fence
A fence grape vine trellis uses fence posts or other available structure as its structural support. It is best used in small backyard gardens with limited space. Depending on your need for privacy and your grapevine, you can get a fence trellis of any height.
Pros
- Easy to harvest fruits
- Provides privacy
- Excellent aesthetic appeal
- Easy to set up
Cons
- Height limit
Best Decorative Iron Trellis
Amagabeli Rustproof Sturdy Black Iron Trellis
These 5-foot tall iron panels from Amagabeli provide ample room for creativity. Because they are moveable you can put them anywhere – even in a large container! Their rustproof iron construction makes them timeless addition to your garden landscape.
Pros:
- Modular
- Rustproof Iron construction
Cons:
- May tip under a heavy crop load
Most Exquisite
OUTOUR French-Style Birdcage Gazebo
Anyone interested in an early morning coffee at a small table inside this exquisite gazebo when it’s covered with luscious grapevines? Prune the vine properly, and you’ll have bunches of fruit draped all over as well!
Pros:
- Gorgeous centerpiece for the backyard
- Wrought iron construction
- 9 1/2 feet tall
Cons:
- At 6’6″ wide, you can’t throw a party in here
- Relatively low cost
Best Wooden Arbor-Style Trellis
Yaheetech Decorative Wooden Arch Arbor Trellis
This classic wooden arbor trellis is easy to assemble and makes a great addition to an existing walkway through your backyard garden. Made from fir wood, it’s reported to be quite sturdy.
Pros:
- Classic design
- Easy to assemble
Cons:
- None!
Best Trellis Netting
VIVOSUN Heavy-Duty Polyester Trellis Netting
If you just need something quick and cheap to grow your grapes on, you can’t bean trellis netting. Hang it from an existing structure or use a basic fencing system – however you set it up, your vines will grow all over it.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Easy to set up
Cons:
- Not a long-term solution
Professional Trellis Systems
The following trellis systems are used in commercial or large-scale hobby growing. If you’re serious about making wine, you’ll likely want to build one of these trellis systems.
Most of these systems are built using galvanized wire and various support systems.
Common Supplies:
Cordon Trellis Systems
This amazing grape trellis system is commonly used in commercial vineyards. It involves two posts set into the ground with wiring between them. The trellis wire supports two cordons (fruit-bearing branches) on opposite sides of the wooden post.
Cordon trellis is best leveraged for the large amount of space it provides for foliage and fruiting.
Features
- Single wire
- Two cordons
Pros
- High fruiting and foliage
- Minimal grapevine management
- Suits various grape varieties
- Good light penetration
- Easy to prune
Cons
- Cordon replacement every four to five years
Y Trellis
The Y-shaped posts support multiple wires between them, with the top supporting as many as nine wires. This setup is excellent if you need to support a robust sauvignon blanc — it requires a very strong system with many wires.
The complexity of this trellis may be too much work for a backyard grape grower.
Features
- Y-shaped posts
- Supports up to nine wires
Pros
- Suitable for robust grape varieties
Cons
- Difficult for beginners
- High tension load
Materials/Supplies Needed
Buy the following for this trellis system:
Gable Trellis
Best for high tension and heavy crop loads, the Gable trellis has ten wires running parallel between the Y-shaped posts with rafters.
It ensures equal light distribution, better airflow, and consistent growth, which is best suited for table grapes.
Features
- Supports up to 10 horizontal wires
- Good for table varieties
Pros
- Holds heavy crop loads
- Promotes good airflow
- Even light distribution
- Consistent fruit development
Cons
- High initial cost
- Hand harvesting is a must
- High tension load
Four-Cane And Umbrella Kniffin Systems Trellis
This complex system involves two different trellising strategies. The four-cane trellis features horizontal posts with two heavy steel wires stretching between them at different heights.
The umbrella kniffin system directs the fruiting canes to grow upwards and droop over the wires. This involves pruning two or four canes from the top of the trunk for up to 20 buds.
This structure allows you to replace the arms with canes from the renewal spur.
Features
- Heavy-duty wires
- Two-layers of wires
Pros
- Great sunlight distribution
Cons
- Too complex for beginners
Multiple Wire Vertical Trellis
These vertical grape vine trellises have multiple wires between them, all stretched at different heights to allow more cordons to grow.
This structure is perfect for your favorite varieties with vigorous upright growth.
Features
- Two or more additional wires between vertical posts
- Best for varieties with upright growth
Pros
- Higher yield
Cons
- Reduced exposure for lowest wire
T Trellis
T trellises feature multiple T-shaped posts that support three wires between them. These support a higher yield and make it easy to prune the old canes that aren’t growing as vigorously.
Features
- T-shaped vertical posts
Pros
- Higher yield
- More scope for pruning
- Makes room for new growth
Cons
- Not suitable for warm climates
Materials/Supplies Needed
To construct a T trellis for your grape vine, you’ll need:
Bilateral Canes (Goyut) Trellis
This trellis system involves stretching two young canes (lateral shoots) in two directions from the post, supported on a wire. The lateral shoots are then pruned back every year once they go dormant. Growers must then select the canes for the following year’s harvest time.
This system limits trunk growth and prevents frost.
Features
- Cane-based system
- Prevents frost
Pros
- For cold climates
- More fruitful nodes
Cons
- Requires annual pruning
Quadrilateral Canes Trellis
The quadrilateral system uses four canes instead of two. The trellis structure features two parallel wires suspended between the posts that each support two canes growing in opposite directions.
This setup is excellent for cold northern climates. It also helps distribute fruiting nodes vertically.
Features
- Two parallel wires
- Four cane pruning
Pros
- Prevents winter injury
- More fruiting nodes
Cons
- Annual cane pruning required
- Lowest wire receives less sunlight and airflow
Sloping Arm Trellis
This trellis system is a fantastic option if you want to optimize sunlight exposure for the vine. This is very important if you live in an area that gets limited sunlight during certain months.
The system features three-foot posts to which a nine-foot crossbar is attached at an angle of 35 degrees. It supports seven to nine high tension wires, great for heavy load vine varieties.
Features
- Supports seven to nine wires
Pros
- Good for equal light distribution
- Lots of growing room
Cons
- Requires high tension wires
Bilateral Cordons With Spurs Trellis
This system stretches two cordons in opposite directions along a single wire that sits between two posts. It also involves spur pruning, which is a method of cutting new canes back until they only hold two or three buds per spur. This pruned cane with buds makes a single viable spur.
Unlike cane trellising, this type of grape vine trellis is perfect for warm climates.
Features
- Two cordons
- Single wire
Pros
- Best for warm climates
- Excellent sun exposure
- Great for mechanical grape pruning
Cons
- Too many old cordons
- Difficult to get rid of cordons
- Old cordons may become vulnerable to diseases
- Reduces vigor
Quadrilateral Cordons With Spurs Trellis
This method is similar to bilateral cordons but involves twice the number of cordons and wires that sit parallel. It is also known as a Geneva double curtain.
It ensures almost double the output compared to a bilateral cordon with spur trellising.
Features
- Two parallel wires
- Four cordons
Pros
- Good sun exposure
- Great for warmer regions
- Best for high vigor vines
Cons
- Too much work, not the best option for beginners
Single Wire Trellis
This is a simple and very popular type of backyard grape vine trellis system. In this structure, a single wire supports the cordon and crop, both of which attach to the vertical supports.
Features
- Five to six feet tall
- Ideal for table or sweet wine varieties
Pros
- Easy to construct
- Affordable
- Ideal for small yards
Cons
- Not ideal for maximum yield
How Tall Should a Grape Trellis Be?
The size of a grape trellis largely depends on pruning technique, types of grapes, accessibility, and other factors.
A grape trellis for table grapes should typically be around five to seven feet tall, while a wine grape variety should be three feet tall.
If you’re a wine lover, here is a guide on making wine from grapes.
A sturdy trellis must have at least two feet buried in the ground, so a 10-foot trellis should work.
Whether you’re a beginner or have some gardening experience, our page should help you learn more about growing juicy grapes in your backyard.
Wrapping up the Best Grapevine Trellis
This wraps up the many varieties of grape vine trellises and what they’re most suited for.
As you can see, there are many options to choose from. Your perfect setup depends on the grape varieties you want to grow, your skill level, the climate in your area, and even the tools and equipment you have access to.
We hope this list can help you figure out the best grape vine trellis for your garden, grape, and region.
Excited for more grape content? Next, check out my grape vine page for more growing tips, care guides, recipes, and more!