Uncovered winter-hardy grape varieties for the Moscow region

Grape

Grapes are one of the most heat-loving and demanding crops. In southern Russia, any variety is grown without cover; in other regions, such experiments often result in partial or complete freezing of the vines during the winter. Gardeners in the central part of the country face a host of challenges and must put in considerable effort to achieve a good harvest. Explore the list of the best uncovered grape varieties for the Moscow region and learn how to care for the crop in challenging climates.

Uncovered grapes for the Moscow region

To grow grapes without shelter, you need to choose frost-resistant and, preferably, low-maintenance varieties. The Moscow region's climate is comparable to that of northern regions, especially in recent years. Autumns are relatively short and cool, winters are frosty but quite snowy, and the first month of spring is usually cold, with recurrent frosts often occurring even as late as late May.

Note!

Covered or uncovered is not a classification of grape varieties, but a method of cultivation in different climatic conditions. For example, the same variety can be planted without cover in Crimea, but will require protection in the Moscow region.

The American variety Librusek serves as the basis for all winter-hardy grape varieties. In addition to immunity to low temperatures, the crossbreeding process has also resulted in the new varieties acquiring good resistance to various diseases and pests. Thanks to the work of breeders, residents of regions with challenging climates have a choice of grapes to suit every taste.

Variety	Days from the beginning of the growing season to harvest	Frost resistance (maximum mark)	Description and characteristics
Alyoshkin	118	26	Clusters range from 650 grams to 2.6 kilograms. The berries are 6–8 grams each, oval, yellowish-green, and sweet. With proper cultivation, a mature bush yields about 25 kilograms per year. Immunity to fungal diseases is weak; to avoid problems, treat the bushes with copper-containing preparations every two weeks.
Alpha	140–150	35	The clusters are medium-sized, cylindrical, and dense. The grapes are round, blue with a pinkish-lilac hue. The flavor has strawberry notes, but the acidity predominates. Yields up to 10 kilograms per bush, and up to 30 kilograms per year under commercial conditions. Immunity to major crop diseases and aphids is high, but resistance to chlorosis is low.
Buffalo	120–135	28	A wine grape with cone-shaped, dense, and small clusters. The berries are round-oval, large, blue-black, and sweet and tart. The flavor is reminiscent of wild pear, with a sugar content of approximately 22%. Yields up to 30 kilograms. The bushes are moderately resistant to common diseases.
Victoria	110–120	26	A sweet, muscat-like variety, with loose clusters weighing 650–950 grams. The grapes are slightly elongated, weighing 4–10 grams, and are dark pink. Victoria grapes are commonly grown commercially for their excellent flavor, attractive cluster appearance, and easy transportability. The sweet berries attract wasps.
Valiant	120–130	45	The clusters weigh up to 100 grams and are irregularly shaped with shoulders and very dense. The berries are blue-black, round, and small, with large seeds. They have a strawberry flavor and a sugar content of 18 to 20%. With proper care, the yield is high annually. They have increased disease resistance.
Pearl of Saba	115–120	28	The clusters are cylindrical-conical and loose, weighing up to 150 grams. The grapes are medium-sized, round, and yellow-green. The flavor is sweet and sour with a muscat flavor, and there are few seeds. Yields up to 30 kilograms per bush. Immunity to gray mold is high, and to other diseases, moderate. The berries are attractive to birds and insects.
Isabel	150–180	28	The clusters weigh 180–250 grams (rarely up to 2.5 kilograms), are not very dense, and are inversely conical or cylindrical. The berries are spherical, sometimes unevenly shaped, dark purple, and sweet and tart. They have a strawberry aroma. Yields up to 60 kilograms per year. This undemanding variety has high immunity to typical diseases.
Kishmish Radiant	125–130	15	Clusters weigh from 750 grams, with some clusters reaching 2 kilograms. They are elongated and irregular in shape, loosely packed. The grapes are broadly oval, up to 10 grams in weight, pinkish-purple, and seedless. The flavor is balanced, with hints of Muscat, and the sugar content ranges from 18–22%. The clusters are easy to transport, and the berries keep well. Yields can reach up to 15 kilograms per bush. This variety requires seasonal preventative treatments and crop regulation. If the grapes lack nutrients and moisture, they lose their flavor.
Crystal	110–130	30	A commercial variety. Clusters up to 190 grams are cylindrical-conical and loose. Berries up to 4 grams are yellowish-green or whitish. The flavor is balanced and pleasant, with a sugar content of up to 18%. Fungal immunity is above average, and the variety is not susceptible to gray mold. Yields are good even in unfavorable years; if the bush becomes too dense, the berries fall off. If cold weather occurs during the ripening period, the flavor of the berries will deteriorate.
Christina	115–125	23	The clusters are free-form or cone-shaped with shoulders, loosely packed, weighing from 400 to 850 grams. The berries are broadly oval, up to 17 grams, greenish-golden with a pink blush. The flavor is characteristic of the variety. Thinning is required due to the increased yield. They have high resistance to fungi.
Kuderka or Kudrik	115–120	30	Clusters up to 380 grams in size are free-form and loose. A mature bush yields up to 90 kilograms of fruit. The grapes are blue and spherical. Their high sugar content allows the wine to be made without sugar. This undemanding variety has excellent resistance to most diseases, except phylloxera.
Lydia or Isabella	150–160	26	The clusters weigh 100–150 grams and are of random shapes. The berries are broadly oval, brownish-red with a lilac hue. The flavor has a hint of strawberry, and the sugar content is 19–20%. A mature bush yields approximately 45 kilograms. The variety has high resistance to fungi, and is tolerant of waterlogged soil.
Transfiguration	100–120	25	Clusters range from 450 grams to 2 kilograms, are broadly conical and loose. The fruits are elongated, up to 17 grams, and pale pink. The flavor is harmonious. A mature bush yields up to 19 kilograms. Immunity to fungi is average. High humidity spoils the berries' flavor, and the variety is attractive to wasps.
Sovering Tiara	110–120	30	The clusters are up to 350 grams, conical, loose, and sometimes broad-shouldered. The berries are 3 to 5 grams, spherical, and green with a whitish tint. The flavor is sweet and sour, with a hint of labrusca. It is a high-yielding variety with high disease resistance.
Tason	95–100	22	Clusters are 400 grams and larger, cylindrical-conical. Grapes are 8–9 grams each, round-oval, light red with a golden hue, and sweet (21% sugar content). The aroma is muscat-like. The grapes have high immunity to fungi and low immunity to other diseases. The yield is very high.
Phenomenon	120	24	Cone-shaped clusters range from 400 to 950 grams. Berries are up to 12 grams, yellow with a whitish tint, broadly oval, and sweet and sour (sugar content up to 22%). They are highly resistant to common diseases. Yields 25 kilograms per year.
Novocherkassk Anniversary	110–120	25	The clusters are cylindrical-conical, weighing up to 4 kilograms. The fruits are 12–18 grams each, elongated-oval, yellowish-pink, bicolored or solid, and sweet. The crop has excellent disease resistance, and the berries are attractive to wasps. The yield is consistently high.
Jupiter	110–115	27	Clusters range from 350 to 550 grams, are irregularly shaped, and loose. Berries are up to 9 grams, elongated-oval, reddish-purple, and sweet (sugar content up to 30%) with muscat notes. They have excellent resistance to fungi. With proper agricultural practices, up to 250 centners of grapes can be harvested per hectare.

Note!

The period from the beginning of the growing season to berry ripening may vary slightly from that stated in the description. Much depends on the weather; if the summer is cold, the berries will fully ripen 10-15 days later.

When choosing a variety, focus on the maximum freezing temperatures in your region, not on average. Consider not just the previous year, but the past 5-7 years. Be sure to pay attention to ripening times, choosing varieties that will ripen before frost sets in, set fruit buds, and go dormant. We've described the early grape varieties most suitable for the region.

Tips for growing grapes in the Moscow region

One of the most important points is that grapes grown from cuttings should not be planted outdoors immediately after rooting. In the second year, young shoots are transplanted into larger containers and grown in a greenhouse or outdoors, ensuring watering, fertilizing, and disease prevention. Before frost sets in, the seedlings are transferred to a cellar. The vines are transplanted to their permanent location (by transshipment) when the first bunches appear. This procedure should be performed in the spring after the last frost.

Selecting a site and landing

The vineyard should be located on the south or southwest side of the plot, preferably on a slope. The location should be sunny, protected from strong winds and cold drafts. The plant thrives only on black soil or sandstone. Sandy soil is looser, allows heat to pass through better in the spring, and freezes faster in the winter. Grapes should not be planted in waterlogged areas, as these conditions will often cause the vine to become diseased or fail to establish at all, and there is a very high risk of root rot.

In order for the bush to fully strengthen and mature before the onset of cold weather, planting grapes in the Moscow region Planting is carried out in April or May, and in the fall until the end of October. When planting in the fall, it's best to rely on the long-term weather forecast for a specific area and select a specific date so that there are at least 50 days before frost. There are three options for planting grapes in the Moscow region:

planting in a hole - to plant grapes on sandstone, dig a hole 80x80x110 cm, if the area has black soil, the dimensions of the hole are slightly different - 80x80x80 cm;
planting in a trench - the length of the trench can be no more than a meter, and the depth 80 cm. The trench is located from south to west;
Planting in a raised bed is a suitable option for those who don't have space on a slope or at an elevated site, or if the chosen site has a high groundwater level. The mound should be about a meter high, and boards can be placed around it to retain soil.

Proper care

Frost-resistant grape varieties They develop their properties gradually, so the vines are covered in the first and second years of cultivation; partial protection will be required in the third year. To test whether the vine has developed frost immunity, one branch is left uncovered; the result is visible in the spring by the number of buds that survive the winter. Although protection is necessary in the first few years, there is a risk that variable weather (frosts and thaws) will cause the vines to rot or rot under cover. How to care for grapes in the Moscow region:

In October, a mixture of a bucket of rotted manure, 40 grams of ammonium nitrate, 50 grams of potassium salt, and 80 grams of superphosphate is added to the tree's trunk circle (under digging). Before and immediately after flowering, the bush is watered with a solution of superphosphate and ammonium nitrate (20 grams each) per bucket of water;
Weeds are removed throughout the growing season, the soil is always kept loose;
In the first year after planting, water the bush every 30 days, with at least 3 buckets of water per bush. If there is heavy rain on the designated date, additional watering is not necessary. In subsequent years, water only in the spring, and also during prolonged droughts. The climate in the Moscow region is humid; overwatering the vineyard will cause the flowers to fall off.
Annual shoots are not pruned in the fall, but pinched at a height of 1.7 m. When training frost-resistant grapes, a standard or arbor-shaped system is used.

Attention!

You can only water grapes at the roots; watering the leaves will lead to the appearance of fungal diseases.

Don't forget about preventative treatments for vineyard diseases and pests; even varieties with strong immunity often require them. The Moscow region's changeable weather, with constant dampness, creates the perfect breeding ground for infections, leading to frequent epidemics. Preventing disease is much easier than treating an infected vine. Treatments are recommended before bud break, before flowering, and after the entire harvest.

Reviews

Leonid

At my dacha in Chekhov, I planted two Crystal vines for wine, a Sovering Tiara vine, and an Alpha vine for edibles. The plot isn't sloped, and the sunny spot was occupied, so I built a high mound of soil for each vine. Initially, I trained the vines horizontally, and the branches gradually entwined the arched structures. Now I'm thinning the crown and removing dead shoots. For the first three years, I covered the vines with spunbond (on arches) and mulched the soil around the trunks with a 10 cm layer of rotted straw. When the spring thaw arrived, I partially uncovered the vines, and completely removed the protection immediately after the last frost.

Zakhar

I live in Sergiev Posad. Over 12 years of viticulture, I've tried many varieties, settling on Kudrik, Victoria, Alyoshenka, and Alfa. I do the main pruning in the fall, and in the spring, I remove branches that haven't survived the winter. Some varieties require thinning, which can't be ignored, otherwise the bunches won't ripen before frost. In our region, grapes can't be left without fertilizer; frequent rains wash nutrients from the soil into deeper layers, which the roots of young vines can't reach.

The wide variety of grape varieties makes them suitable for growing in virtually all regions of Russia, except for extremely cold areas, where gardeners still manage to grow them in greenhouses. We've compiled a list of the best varieties for the temperate climate; if you prefer, you can search for other varieties in local nurseries or catalogs, taking into account their frost resistance. If your plot size allows, choose not just one, but several varieties. Follow our advice, and you'll reap bountiful harvests of your favorite berry every year.