Black Pearl Grapes: Characteristics and Description of the Variety, Planting and Care

Black Pearl grapes are a classic wine variety in their characteristics, but many gardeners mistakenly consider them to be universal. The taste of the berries is misleading, as their pulp and juice are in no way inferior to table grapes in sweetness and tenderness. And yet, the best grape reveals itself precisely as a raw material for wine - the Muscat aftertaste of the drink is distinguished by a persistence that is not typical for red varieties.

Description of the variety

Black Pearl is a hybrid red grape variety used for industrial purposes. It was developed at the Ya. I. Potapenko All-Russian Research Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking and added to the register in 2005. Black Pearl is the result of crossing two hybrids: the first is a cross between the Amursky and Avgusta varieties, and the second is a descendant of Levokumsky and Kentavr Magarachevsky.

Structural features

The Black Pearl grape variety is a vigorous variety. The leaves on the vines are medium-sized, with young ones having five distinct lobes, while mature ones have a pentagonal shape with deep notches. The outer surface of the leaf blade is blistered, the edges curl upward, and the underside has a felt-like pubescence. A distinctive feature varieties – the length of the petioles coincides with the length of the central vein of the leaf.

The clusters are medium-sized, cylindrical, tapering toward the base to form a cone. The berry density is moderate. The fruits are slightly elongated, oval, and turn dark blue when ripe.

Characteristics of fruits

This is a mid-early variety. In the central zone, the fruits reach full ripeness in early September, and in the southern regions, by mid-August.

The Black Pearl berry pulp is light, fleshy, and very juicy. The juice is colorless, with a yellowish tint. The sugar content in the fruit is 23-24%, and the acid concentration is 6-7 g/l. The berries have a pleasant flavor, with a muscat flavor. Fruit have a distinct aroma.

Muscat notes linger in the wine, creating a lingering aftertaste that doesn't fade even after prolonged aging. This dessert wine, made from Black Pearl grapes, received a high rating from experts—9 out of 10. The table wine is rated 7.9 points.

Yield of the variety

Level productivity Black Pearl grapes above average:

• one hundred square meters of plantation produces up to 130 kg of fruit;
• each bush can produce about 7 kg of berries;
• the average weight of a bunch is 300 g;
• weight of one berry – 3-5 g;
• The fruiting coefficient of the variety is 1.7.

The plant begins to bear fruit 2 years after planting the cuttings.

Sustainability

The variety is distinguished by good endurance indicators:

1. Grapes have frost resistanceThe vine can withstand frosts down to -26°C without loss of yield. However, gardeners note that a drop to -28°C results in a loss of 75-80% of the following year's harvest.
2. Black Pearl grapes are not affected by spring frosts. During flowering, they can withstand temperatures as low as -3 to -5°C without affecting subsequent fruiting.
3. The bushes are susceptible to fungal diseases, but the variety is quite resistant to them: the grape has a high immunity (1 point) to powdery mildew and above-average resistance to downy mildew (1.5-2 points). It has weak resistance to anthracnose.
4. Among the diseases not caused by fungi, grapes are most often affected by bacterial cancer and bacteriosis.
5. The variety is susceptible to phylloxera and several types of spider mites – common, red, and hornbeam.
6. The berries are rarely damaged by wild wasps.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

When evaluating the Black Pearl variety from a winegrower's perspective, the following advantages should be noted:

• high survival rate of cuttings;
• good compatibility with rootstocks;
• possibility of cultivation in temperate climates;
• high taste qualities of wine;
• intensity of muscat aftertaste and aroma during long-term storage of the drink;
• culinary value of fruits;
• the ability of vines to withstand heavy loads without affecting the taste and size of the berries.

The disadvantages of the variety include insufficiently high yield for amateur cultivation.

Features of agricultural technology of the variety

Black Pearl grapes are easy to propagate. Gardeners report that cuttings root well. landing This can be done in either spring or fall. There are no specific requirements for the location or planting procedure – it's best to choose a sunny, wind-protected area that's not prone to waterlogging.

Caring for the bush also involves a standard set of techniques for the crop - fertilizing and pruning, covering for the winter, removing weeds and weekly watering.

The list of agronomic nuances relevant when growing this variety is short:

1. It is recommended to form the bush into 2 shoulders, 1 m high each.
2. Pruning of fruit-bearing shoots should be carried out at the level of 3-4 buds.
3. It is optimal to leave no more than 18 shoots on a bush.

4. To protect against root aphids, it is recommended to graft vines onto varieties resistant to them. American vigorous rootstocks are preferred.
5. Due to the variety's vulnerability to spider mite infestation, preventative treatments with acaricidal agents should be carried out on the vines. Introducing ladybugs and flower bugs, which feed on the insects, can significantly reduce the risk of pest infestation.
6. To combat leaf phylloxera, it is worth carrying out two sprayings with systemic insecticides with a 2-week break during the summer period of adult individuals.

Reviews from winegrowers

Evgeniy, 42 years old:

"In my personal ranking of red wine grape varieties, Black Pearl ranks high among the top. Its distinctive Muscat flavor, in my opinion, is no worse than that of Hamburg Misket, although the berries are smaller. However, in terms of disease and frost resistance, Black Pearl gives it a run for its money. Initially, my bushes grew rather slowly, although all the seedlings took root, but they subsequently showed their vigor."

Marina, 35 years old:

"I only have a few young Black Pearl bushes so far, so I don't make wine from them, but I've tried stirring the juice into the Pinot Noir must. Adding a tenth of the total volume already imparts a subtle muscat note to the finished wine's flavor and bouquet. We mostly consume the berries fresh—the taste is more than adequate for a winemaker. They prefer to dry them, and Black Pearl raisins make perfect raisins."

Victor, 54 years old:

"In five years of growing it, I've never seen mildew on my ChZh vines. I overwinter this grape under plastic and it doesn't freeze; I live in the Volgograd region. Friends grow it quite successfully near Voronezh."

The Black Pearl grape variety is suitable for industrial cultivation: in this case, the 1.3 kg yield per square meter of vineyard is considered a high yield. For a small private plantation grown for home wine production, this yield makes the variety unprofitable.