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The Pinot Noir grape is a famous French variety that has been cultivated for over six centuries. In Our Country, it is traditionally cultivated in the Krasnodar Territory and other southern regions. It is possible to grow in the middle lane. The variety is characterized by high winter hardiness, but rather demanding care.
History of occurrence
Pinot Noir is a variety of grapes of the famous French Pinot varietal group. The variety was obtained in the region of Burgundy, it happened in the XIV century or earlier. The name “Pinot” is translated as “pine”. This is because Pinot Noir grapes really do resemble a pine cone.
This is a technical variety, which is mainly used for the production of wine. In Our Country, it is grown in the Krasnodar Territory. The culture is rather capricious and difficult to take root in a new place. Therefore, initially a small area is laid for planting, and then gradually expand them to the desired size. The culture is not included in the register of breeding achievements.
Description of Pinot Noir grapes
Pinot Noir grapes produce bushes of medium height. The leaves are rounded, small in size, the surface is strongly wrinkled, there are open cuts on the sides. The middle lobe is wide. The degree of dissection is different – there are three or five lobes. On the underside, a slight pubescence in the form of a white “cobweb” is noticeable. The flowers are bisexual, so pollination is close to 100%.
bunches
Clusters of medium or small size, reach a length of 7 to 14 cm, a width of 5-8 cm. The shape is classical cylindrical, less often with lobes. The density is very high. The comb is lignified, of small length (3-4 cm). The mass of bunches averages 60-120 g.
Berries
The berries are medium in size, round or partly oval, sometimes deformed. Pinot Noir grapes have a rich blue or dark color: white berries are not found. On average, the mass is 1,5 g. Each berry contains 2-3 seeds.
The pulp is very juicy – the mass fraction of juice is at least 75%. The texture is pleasant, not slimy. The peel is quite strong, thin, so the fruits are easy-to-grow and transportable. Pinot Noir grape juice is colorless.
Clusters of Pinot Noir grapes are small, the berries are densely packed
Vine
The bush is low, the vine is strong, light brown in color, it ripens almost along the entire length. Each shoot produces one or two brushes.
Characteristics of Pinot Noir grapes
The variety belongs to mid-season crops. The yield is quite high, and you can have time to pick berries even in central Our Country. Usually harvesting starts in early September. Frost resistance and drought resistance are high, and the culture also has good immunity to gray rot.
Ripening Pinot Noir grapes
The ripening period is average – Pinot Noir grapes reach technical ripeness in 145-150 days from the moment the buds awaken. The sum of active temperatures required for full maturation is at least 2800 degrees. If you grow grapes in central Our Country, the harvest will be harvested no earlier than the first days of September. If the weather allows, the bunches can be left to ripen on the bush for some more time.
Productivity
The yield reaches 5-9 tons per hectare. The indicator is highly dependent on weather conditions. Negative factors are return frosts in spring, as well as cloudy and cool summers.
Taste of Pinot Noir grapes
The taste of Pinot Noir berries is pleasant, harmonious, with hints of fruits and berries. The aroma is complex, it presents shades of different berries and fruits, including blueberries, raspberries, currants, strawberries, plums, cherries. Ginger, coffee and even a slight smell of smoke are partly felt.
Acidity is weak, sweet tones are noticeable. The balance of sour and sweet provides a pleasant, mild taste of wines. This is facilitated by the moderate content of tannins. Sugar content index – 24-25 g per 100 ml, acidity – 7,7 g per 1 liter.
Where Pinot Noir Grows
The culture is widely grown in countries with a warm or moderately cool climate. Pinot Noir is cultivated in Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, the USA and other countries. In Our Country, culture is not common. It is found only in the southern regions.
Growing Pinot Noir grapes is possible in central Our Country, but agricultural technology is complex. The culture requires an abundance of sunlight and mild winters. Therefore, in the fall, the bushes should be very carefully covered, removed from the supports, and frame structures installed.
In Our Country, the Pinot Noir variety is grown in the Krasnodar Territory
Frost resistance
The winter hardiness of the culture is quite high. There is evidence that Pinot Noir can withstand up to -30 degrees. This allows you to cultivate it both in the south of Our Country and in the middle lane. But it requires mandatory shelter for the winter.
Drought tolerance
The culture is also quite resistant to drought. But if the heat continues for several days in a row (no rain), it is recommended to organize additional watering, as well as mulch the roots in advance. This will keep the soil moist and ensure a good harvest.
Disease and pest resistance
Immunity is average: it can suffer from oidium, mildew and other fungal diseases. The grape leafworm is rarely affected. Therefore, the bushes are regularly inspected, and in the spring they carry out 1-2 preventive treatments with fungicides:
- Bordeaux liquid;
- “RAW”;
- “Fitosporin”;
- “Score”;
- “Maksim”;
- “Tatu”.
Application
Pinot Noir grapes are technical varieties. It is rarely used fresh. Most often, the berries are used to make wine. In shops you can find alcoholic drinks from the crop harvested in Our Country.
Advantages and disadvantages
The undoubted advantages of the Pinot Noir variety are the rich taste and aroma of berries, from which even at home you can make high-quality wine. In addition, the culture is quite winter-hardy. But return frosts can drastically reduce yields.
Berries have an interesting taste and rich aroma.
Pros:
- good keeping quality;
- transportability;
- high winter hardiness;
- drought resistance;
- immunity to gray mold.
Cons:
- demanding care and growing conditions;
- tendency to mass pea (in adverse weather);
- instability to return frosts;
- no immunity to oidium, mildew.
Features of landing
For planting Pinot Noir grapes, well-lit, gentle slopes with fertile, loose, calcareous soil are used. Bushes are best planted from mid-March (in the south) to the second decade of May (in the middle lane). You can also choose the autumn period – from the end of September to the second half of October. Gardeners note that the survival rate in the spring is better.
When preparing the soil, it is recommended to add compost or humus in the amount of 5 kg per square meter. If there is a lot of clay in the soil, you will need to close up sand or sawdust – from 500 g to 1 kg per 1 m2.
Landing rules are standard:
- Dig holes measuring 60 * 60 cm at a distance of 3 m (between rows 4 m).
- Lay a layer of stones.
- Root seedlings.
- Pour a layer of fertile soil.
- Water and mulch.
Care instructions
Pinot Noir grapes do not require too frequent watering. It is enough to moisten in March, when the buds have just begun to swell, on the eve of flowering (end of May), immediately after it (the formation of ovaries) and after the final harvest.
Top dressing is applied 2-3 times per season. In spring, ammonium nitrate or urea is used, during flowering – complex mineral fertilizer. Instead, you can pre-sow the field with mustard and other green manure, chop them before flowering and dig them up. However, this does not exclude the need to apply superphosphate and potassium sulfate during the flowering period.
Particular attention is paid to the pruning of Pinot Noir grapes. They make it every spring. As the berries ripen, the bunches are harvested. They are too dense, so they need to be thinned out.
For a good harvest, it is enough to water the crop four times per season.
Conclusion
Pinot Noir grapes are quite capricious, but it is possible to grow it even in the Moscow region and other regions of the middle lane. The culture is winter-hardy, so in the south it is not necessary to cover in the fall. When growing, special attention is paid to the place for planting. Fertilizers are applied up to three times per season.
Pinot Noir Reviews
