The trial was carried out in the period 2017-2020 in a vine nursery located on slightly leached chernozem. The objective of the study was to investigate the opportunities of applying the contact foliar herbicides Basta 15 SL (150 g/l glufosinate-ammonium) and Diqua 20 SL (200 g/l diquat) as defoliants, immediately before removing the vines from the nursery (the second half of October). Their effect on the above-ground vegetative mass of the grafted rooted vines of the varieties Muscat Plevenski, Bolgar, Naslada and Storgozia was established. The herbicides were applied in different doses, once and twice at the end of the growing season with work solution of 50 l/da. The strongest defoliating effect in all varieties was reported after treatment with Diqua 20 SL at a dose of 0.6 l/da and the combination of Basta + Diqua (0.3 + 0.33 l/da) with two applications, but in case it was not possible the second treatment to be performed, a satisfactory result might be achieved with a single application of the herbicides no later than 15 days before removing the vines from the nursery. To prove the vines’ capacity for development during the next growing season, the status of their buds after the treatment with the tested herbicides was determined. No negative vines’ response caused by this type of defoliation was found.