Among grape varieties, Muscat grapes occupy a special place; they are the aristocracy of the world of winemaking. Most likely, one of these was the "ancestor" of all domesticated wine berries. Its distinctive musky aroma and deep flavor make Muscat grapes especially revered by breeders. Varieties with high immunity have now been developed, but older, more capricious elite varieties also remain. Both have their own characteristics, which can be learned about through descriptions and photos.
Features of Muscat grapes
Muscat grapes began their journey in the fertile lands of Syria, Egypt, Rome, and Greece several millennia ago. The first written accounts date back to the 8th-6th centuries BC—Homer and Hesiod mentioned honey-flavored wines. At that time, the method of producing alcohol was unknown, and the strength of the wine depended on the sugar content of the grapes themselves. Therefore, the unusually sweet Muscat was particularly prized. Even for this grape, the vines were twisted, the leaves were plucked, and the berries were then sun-dried to evaporate excess moisture.
Since 1828, Muscat grapes have been grown on the Crimean Peninsula. They later spread to the southern outskirts of the Russian Empire. At this time, they could be found in the Stavropol and Krasnodar Krais of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Moldova, and Dagestan. However, the largest plantations are located in Portugal, Spain, Italy, and France.
Muscat grape varieties are characterized by a high content of phytoncides, which have a beneficial effect on the natural bacterial balance of the intestines. The berries are large, fleshy, with a small number of seeds (2-3), and the skin is translucent and delicate. The musky flavor and aroma of the grapes are due to ternopoid compounds found in the skin and adjacent pulp.
The best Muscat grape varieties
Muscat grapes were previously grown only in warm regions because they were susceptible to cold and fungal diseases. Hybrids adapted to various climates now exist, including varieties suitable for temperate climates. Breeders have developed berries with higher sugar content, stronger immune systems, and higher yields, allowing you to select a variety to suit your needs.
Pink
Pink Muscat grapes were developed 200 years ago. The shoots are red but turn yellow by harvest time. The leaves are large and round. The bunches are cylindrical, weighing 120-200 g. The flowers are bisexual.
Pink Muscat ripens in 4.5 months. As the juices accumulate, the berries darken from a soft purple with a slight white bloom to a deep purple, almost black. They are round and large in shape. The sugar content is 25-35%. The vines grow at a medium rate and do not require regular pruning.
The variety is undemanding regarding soil composition and can withstand winter temperatures down to -25 degrees Celsius. It requires warm, dry weather for ripening, and watering should be limited to 4-5 times a day, meaning rainfall is generally sufficient. However, if the summer season is heavy with rainfall, the grapes may rot.
The immunity of pink muscat is quite weak, it is susceptible to oidium, phylloxera, mildew, spider mites, leaf rollers, and phylloxera.
Summer
It is a fast-growing shrub with strong shoots and large, elongated clusters, which can weigh up to 700 g.
The berries are light green with an amber tint and a white bloom (the brightness of the color depends on the amount of light the vines receive). They are elongated oval in shape and slightly pointed at the tip. The sugar content can reach 20%.
This variety excels in central Russia. It can withstand temperatures down to -27°C (when covered), sudden climate changes, ripens quickly, has very high yields, and is resistant to fungi and mildew. Diseases include chlorosis and bacterial canker, and occasionally can be damaged by powdery mildew or phylloxera.
Ultra-red
The Moldovan variety "Superkrasny" (Super Red) possesses a unique combination of qualities. It is an extremely early grape with a medium yield, ripening in 3-3.5 months, allowing harvesting as early as July. It is frost-resistant, and also boasts excellent commercial qualities:
- handles transportation calmly;
- can be stored without losing its taste for up to 12 weeks;
- The sugar content is no more than 20%, so the berries do not attract wasps, do not overripe, and do not rot for a long time.
As the name suggests, the grapes are red, but gradually acquire a purple hue. They are large, round, and form cylindrical clusters weighing up to 400 g. The shoots are also red, and the leaves are bright green, densely covering the vines. The relatively low sugar content makes this Muscat grape ideal for making table wines.
Ultra-red grapes are completely immune to botrytis, though mildew and powdery mildew pose a minor threat. Strong immunity and rapid ripening protect the berries from most fungi and diseases.
Novoshakhtinsky
Muscat is an early-ripening (harvesting begins in the first ten days of August) and high-yielding variety. The flowers are self-pollinated, almost 100% of the ovaries ripen, and a single bunch can weigh up to 600 g. The berries are large, purple with a red tint and a faint white bloom, have 1-3 seeds, and a thin skin. The sugar content reaches 30%.
Novoshakhtinsky grapes are frost-resistant, easily transported, have a long shelf life, and exhibit moderate resistance to mildew and oidium, although these diseases typically affect the leaves rather than the fruit. A distinctive feature of this variety is its adaptability to variable weather conditions, easily surviving rainy summers.
Russian
Refers to early ripening muscatsIt ripens in 3-3.5 months, so the harvest begins in July. Its main advantage is its strong immunity, which protects the fruit from all diseases.
The berries are large, round, with a white bloom, and range in color from red-orange to pink or purple, depending on the stage of ripeness. They form large conical clusters weighing up to 600 g, allowing for high yields of 20-25 kg per bush.
Livadia
The Livadia variety is an ideal choice for starting grape cultivation. It's a heat-loving variety, like most Muscat grapes, but can withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius. It's also drought-resistant. Its strong immune system protects Livadia from infections and fungi that attack other vines. And thanks to its thick skin, wasps can't bite through the fruit.
The bushes are not tall, require no pruning, have few foliage, and the flowers are bisexual and require no additional pollination. Livadia grapes prefer loam or sandy soils, but also thrive in other soils.
The maximum sugar content is only 19%, but it can be less if the berries did not receive enough sunlight in the summer.
Livadia grapes are highly productive: a single bunch weighs between 500 and 800 grams and has an elongated, conical shape. The grapes are small, oval, and light green with an amber tint and a subtle white bloom.
Donskoy
The variety has many strengths and weaknesses. The former include a sugar content of 30% and a high yield. Donskoy Grows well in any soil, frost-resistant – can withstand temperatures down to -30 degrees Celsius.
However, despite the large number of ovaries, only 50% ripen, and the berries are very small. To increase their size, the clusters need to be thinned. The grapes are dark purple with a light white bloom and round in shape. The grapes have an average immunity; phylloxera poses the greatest threat to the Donskoy variety.
Pleven
The Bulgarian Pleven variety ripens in four months. Its yield is higher than that of the previous grape, reaching 80-85%, and a single bunch can weigh up to 600 g. The berries are large, oval, amber-colored with a green tint, and have a sugar content of 20%.
Pleven is useful for Russia due to its frost resistance, easily withstanding temperatures as low as -25 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, the variety has good immunity and is virtually immune to fungal diseases.
Blau
The Blau variety was developed in Switzerland. The resulting grapes can withstand temperatures down to -30 degrees Celsius and ripen in 3.5-4 months. They are fairly resistant to diseases and fungi, but preventative spraying with phytoncides before fruit set is still recommended.
The clusters are small, weighing no more than 300 grams. The berries are round, medium-sized, and purple. The grape yield is high, but pruning is necessary to improve quality. Soil composition and sunlight are unimportant for Blau, but it does require fertilizer and ample watering.
The variety's main drawback is its thin skin, which makes the fruit an easy target for wasps. To protect the berries, the bushes should be covered with fine-mesh netting and insect traps should be placed nearby.
White
This is one of the elite, oldest varieties of Muscat. It requires loamy, well-drained soil. A rocky, open, south-facing slope is ideal. It prefers potassium-based fertilizers.
This white grape variety is characterized by early ripening and medium yield. It is harvested in the third ten days of September, when sugar content reaches its maximum. On average, it should account for 30% of the berry's weight.
The weight of a single bunch can reach 450 g, but typically ranges from 110-120 g. Ripening takes 4-5 months. The vines grow quickly, so pruning is necessary.
White Muscat It is difficult to care for, it is very heat-loving, and is unable to survive even short-term drought, pest infestations, and fungi.
Buffet
Muscat Furshetny ripens in four months and boasts excellent yields, with a single bunch reaching 800 g. The berries are dark purple, large, oval, and glaucous. This variety has a long shelf life, tolerates transportation well, and can withstand temperatures as low as -23 degrees Celsius.
Furshetny grapes are moderately resistant to fungi. To protect the harvest, two sprayings are recommended: one before flowering and one after. Gray mold and wasps are not a problem for this Muscat variety.
Long-awaited
This early-ripening variety ripens in 3.5 months. The clusters are large, cone-shaped, and can weigh up to 1,500 g. The grapes are elongated, oval, and light green with an amber tint; when unripe, they are white. A distinctive feature is that some berries are seedless, while others are seedless. The flowers are bisexual and self-pollinating.
Long-awaited It is frost-hardy, but to preserve the vine, it needs to be covered for the winter. It is highly resistant to fungi and diseases, and one spraying with phytoncides before flowering is recommended.
This variety stores well and is excellent for propagation by cuttings. Choose a sunny location for planting, and add organic fertilizer to the hole.
Amur
The Amur grape is an old Muscat variety of Asian origin. According to legend, it was discovered near the Amur River, which is where the berries get their name. A distinctive feature of the variety is its rapid shoot formation.
Otherwise, this Muscat variety is undemanding, grows quickly, and produces high yields. Its main advantage is its unique frost resistance, capable of surviving temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius.
Amur grapes bloom in May, and the harvest takes place in September. By this time, the bark and leaves turn red, and the berries darken from orange-red to deep purple with a bluish bloom. A single bunch can weigh 250-300 g.
The weak point of grapes is their low resistance to diseases, so they need to be regularly sprayed with agents against fungi, cancer, and gray mold.
Hamburg
The Hamburg grape variety was developed in England and is a mid-late ripening grape, taking about five months to ripen. Harvest begins in the second ten days of September. Theoretically, Muscat grapes can produce large quantities of fruit, but sometimes the yield is much lower than expected.
It is demanding of climatic conditions, needs warmth and sun, and does not tolerate frost well, so the bushes should be tightly covered for the winter.
The immunity is weak, the grapes often suffer from gray rot, oidium, mildew and phylloxera.
This variety is also known as Black Muscat, as its berries are a rich, dark purple, almost black color. They contain 2-3 seeds. The clusters are conical, loose, and small, weighing barely 260 grams. The grapes themselves are large, round, and have tough skins.
The strengths of Hamburg Muscat include excellent transportability and the ability to be stored for about 3 months.
Noble
A good example of a strong hybrid variety, Noble produces high yields, with a single bunch averaging 600 g. The grapes are conical and loose in shape, with very large (3-4 cm long) berries, light green, yellow when held up to the light, and translucent. Ripening takes 3.5-4 months.
Frost resistance is average, and it can withstand temperatures as low as -23 degrees Celsius, but it's best to cover the bushes for the winter. Its immunity is moderate; several sprayings per season are recommended.
Among the undoubted advantages for winegrowers is the variety's ability to survive long-distance transportation, as well as its indifference to wasps.
Moscow
This early grapesIts ripening period is just under four months. It is distinguished by its high frost resistance, withstanding temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius. Moskovsky is essentially a hybrid of the Amur variety, bred in Russia and successfully grown in the gardens of amateur winegrowers.
The bush grows quickly, with little foliage, small clusters of various shapes, and light green berries with 4-5 seeds. The flavor is sweet with a slight tartness, with a sugar content of 17-17.5%. Each cluster averages 250 g, but can reach up to 470 g.
The plant's immune system isn't strong enough to protect it, so it needs to be sprayed. Moscow grapes require loose, acidic soil, and are best planted in a sunny, south-facing location.
Reviews
Valeria
I'm not a professional grape grower, but I was tempted by the Hamburg variety. It has excellent flavor: very sweet and juicy. But I struggled with its care: covering it in the fall, checking it in the winter (I live in the Rostov region), spraying it in the spring, and protecting it from wasps in the summer. I'm not sure it's worth it. Although, the homemade wine is thick and richly colored, almost like a liqueur. The juices, however, are too sweet; I mixed them with the juice of late-ripening apples and gave them to the children that way.
Maxim
My favorite variety is Muscat Pink. It's delicious, sweet, and easy to care for. The key is to avoid planting in clay soil and to spray it regularly. I also provide additional pollination. During flowering, I use a brush to collect pollen in a bowl, mix it, and then apply it again to the flowers. This variety easily supports a large number of ovaries. I recommend drip irrigation to prevent rot.
Muscat grape varieties vary widely in their characteristics, but all share a sweet, distinctive flavor, and musky aroma. Older varieties have a weaker immune system and are less frost-resistant, but they continue to be cultivated in Europe to produce beloved wines. Young, vigorous varieties fully satisfy the needs of winegrowers in central Russia; they can also be used to make excellent drinks, preserves, or simply eaten fresh.
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