Regina grape

Synonyms: Карабурну, Афуз Али, Датье де Бейрут, Болгар, Алеппо, Розети, Розакия, Розаки.

Regina grape – a late-ripening variety of grapevine, originating from Asia Minor. It is cultivated in Italy, Turkey, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria. In Ukraine it is zoned for Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Odesa, Zakarpattia regions, as well as Crimea.

Vines vigorous. Ripening of young shoots high – 80%. Shoot tip of young shoot light green, leaf tips bronze. Pubescence on shoots weak, cobwebby. First leaf light green with a bronze tinge. Subsequent leaves of the same colour but with weaker pubescence. A ripened one-year shoot is brown with dark-brown nodes.

Leaves medium-sized, five-lobed, deeply and moderately dissected, with a funnel-shaped curvature. Upper sinuses medium or deep, with a narrowly elliptic or ovate opening, closed; lower sinuses small to medium, lyre-shaped, open; petiole sinus narrow or in the form of an entering node. Petiole sinus arched or lyre-shaped, open, wide. Teeth at the lobe tips medium to large, straight, triangular, sides slightly convex, apices sharp. Lower surface not pubescent. In autumn leaves turn yellow.

Flower hermaphroditic. Proportion of fruiting shoots per vine is 48%. Average number of flowers on a developed shoot – 0.48, on a fruiting shoot – 1.25. Yield, due to large bunches, is high, more than 100 centners/ha. Sucker shoots form weakly. Fruitfulness of these shoots, as well as of replacement buds, is 23%.

Bunches large, 18–26 cm long and 11–14 cm wide, cylindro-conical or winged, loose, borne on a long herbaceous peduncle (up to 10 cm). Average bunch mass reaches 700 g. Berries very large, 23–30 mm long and 19–23 mm wide, elongated, sometimes oblong-oval, less often slightly flaring at the top. Berry colour greenish-white and golden-yellow at full maturity, with a small brownish sunburn on the sunny side and a weak wax bloom. Skin brittle, thick. Flesh fleshy-juicy, dense, with a harmonious flavour. Taste rating – 9 points. Average mass of 100 berries reaches 670 g. Berries contain 2 large seeds. Berries are firm and hold well on the pedicels, which withstand a detachment load of 351 g and a crushing load of 1827 g. Bunches tolerate transport and long storage well.

Harvest ripeness in Odesa occurs in late September – early October. In unfavourable years for grape growing (early autumn frosts, cold rainy autumn) the variety does not ripen even in the southern part of Odesa. From budburst to harvest ripeness in Odesa it takes 152 days with a total sum of active temperatures of 2927 °C.

Sugar content at harvest ranges from 13.8 to 18.1 g/100 ml with acidity 5.8–10.5 g/l.

Berry composition: juice - 84.2%, stems - 2.3%, skin and firm flesh parts - 12.1%, seeds - 1.4%.

Young vines with vigorous shoots, semi-spreading. Apex without pubescence, bronze-coloured. Leaves glossy, but differ from the leaves of mature vines.

Best rootstocks: Рипариа X Рупестрис 101—14, Рипариа Глуар и Кобера 5ББ.

Frost resistance: weak. In severe winters significant bud mortality is observed – 80–90%.

Site: recommended to grow on south- or southwest-facing slopes. Prefers fertile, moderately moist soil.

Planting: same as for cultivated grapevines.

Care: requires winter protection to preserve the central buds, since replacement buds are mostly sterile. Do not allow crop overloading.

Pruning: on the bush it is recommended to leave 24–28 buds, after removing 10–14 shoots. When pruning canes leave 10–15 buds. With fan training increase the number of buds to 35–45 and 20–22 shoots; when pruning canes leave 10–12 buds.

Diseases and pests: significantly affected by powdery mildew (oidium) and downy mildew. Not resistant to gray mould. Resistance to spider mite is medium.

Propagation: cuttings root well.

Uses: a valuable table grape variety, one of the best for cultivation in southern Ukraine. Consumed fresh, used for compotes, large-berry raisins, jams, and marinades. Also a valuable parent for breeding new varieties.