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Muscat grape varieties are especially popular due to their high sugar content. There are many productive and easy-to-grow varieties of the crop.
What grapes are called muscat
Muscats are called a whole group of grape varieties, united by common characteristics. Varieties are characterized by:
- high sugar content combined with acidity from 19 to 33%;
- characteristic aroma with a tart musky note;
- high productivity and large-fruitedness;
- good phytoncidal properties.
The birthplace of muscat grapes is Central Asia, but at present, varieties of this group are grown in France and Italy, in Spain and the Crimea. There are table varieties intended for use as a dessert, and technical ones – they are used in the preparation of wine.
The best Muscat grape varieties
It is recommended to grow muscat grapes in warm regions with a lot of sunny days. Despite this, there are both particularly heat-loving and relatively cold-resistant hybrid varieties.
Hamburg
A grape variety of English origin brings round or oval small berries no more than 4 g by weight with 2-3 seeds. Muscat flesh is juicy, the skin is black with a wax coating, tough. The shoots of the variety are green at first, and then turn red-brown, the leaves are five-lobed and resemble hearts in shape.
Muscat grapes Hamburg bears fruit in large conical racemes up to 20 cm in length. Ripens on average in 148 days and ripens by the end of September. Berries have good keeping quality and can be stored for up to three months without loss of commercial properties. At the same time, the fruits do not last long on the branches and quickly crumble.
Muscat grapes Hamburg strongly freezes at temperatures below -19 ° C
The disadvantages of Hamburg Muscat include low immunity. Grapes often suffer from bacterial cancer, mildew and oidium, gray rot, root aphids are affected. It is especially difficult to grow a crop on heavy acidic soils with high levels of moisture. Hamburg grapes require constant antifungal treatments and careful monitoring by the grower.
Under favorable conditions, the variety demonstrates high productivity and allows you to collect up to 120 centners of fruits from 1 ha of plantings. But in cold and rainy summers, the figures are greatly reduced.
Muscat Blue
The Muscat-flavored Swiss grape variety belongs to cold-resistant varieties and can withstand temperatures as low as -29 °C. It ripens in 135-140 days, gives large loose bunches up to 300 g by weight. The berries of the variety are black, rounded, up to 5 g, with several seeds inside.
Muscat Blau has a good immunity to fungi, but often suffers from wasps, so it is better to cover the bushes with a fine mesh net. Requires regular pruning and top dressing. Despite the high frost resistance, it is intended for cultivation in the south, since in the northern regions the variety lacks sunlight.
Muscat Blau grapes are suitable for table use and for making homemade wine.
Muscat pink
Pink Muscat is grown in Italy and France, as well as in the south of Our Country, in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, in Azerbaijan and Armenia. The variety has medium-sized, slowly developing bushes with reddish shoots and slightly pubescent leaves. Ripens in 140 days.
Brings cylindrical dense clusters up to 200 g, consisting of dark pink rounded berries with a pronounced waxy coating. As it ripens, it almost turns black, the pulp of the variety is juicy with a strong musky aroma. The best taste characteristics Pink Muscat acquires at temperatures above 29 °C. Therefore, grapes grown in a temperate climate, even with quality care, are not as sweet as southern ones.
Pink nutmeg is distinguished by good ripening of shoots – barren vines occupy no more than 25% of the total volume
Pleven nutmeg
Bulgarian early variety of Muscat grapes reaches maturity in 115 days. Large clusters of conical shape up to 600 g each are formed on the shoots. The berries themselves are also quite large – up to 8 g, green at the beginning of ripening, under the sun they acquire a bright yellow color. The pulp of the variety is crispy, sweet in taste, with a slight aroma.
Pleven grape bushes reach 2 m in height, the variety takes root easily and propagates well by grafting. It ripens evenly, during the growing process it requires regular pruning for 6-8 eyes to maintain the yield and size of the berries. Because of the high sweetness, it attracts wasps, so it is recommended to protect the grapes from insects with nets.
You can harvest Pleven Muscat grapes from the beginning of August
Muscat summer
Early ripe Muscat grapes of Moldovan origin fully ripen in 120 days. It grows up to 3 m, produces cylindrical-conical clusters weighing from 650 g to 1 kg. The berries of the grapes are long, oval, yellowish-white or amber in color, on average not heavier than 8 g.
Summer Muscat is characterized by good ripening of the vine – up to 80%. This feature guarantees an annual production of a plentiful harvest in favorable sunny weather. The variety belongs to the medium frost-resistant category, but at temperatures below -23 ° C it still requires shelter. It has good immunity to downy mildew.
Summer Muscat in the south can be collected from the first days of August
Muscat Donskoy
One of the oldest varieties of Muscat grapes most often used in the preparation of wines. The variety is characterized by early ripening, which takes an average of 115 days, brings rather compact clusters up to 200 g by weight. The berries of the variety are black, round in shape, only about 2 g in weight, with fragrant juicy pulp.
Grapes do not crumble and do not crack for a long time, they develop well on any soil. Don Muscat tolerates cold snaps down to -30 ° C and is suitable for growing in regions with frosty winters and short summers with little sunshine.
Fruiting vines of the Don Muscat occupy about 50% of the total number of branches
Muscat super red
A hybrid variety with average frost resistance tolerates adverse weather conditions well. It has bright green leaves and red shoots, brings berries in just 95-100 days after the formation of the ovaries. You can grow a variety in a temperate climate, where there are not as many sunny days a year as in the south.
The fruits of the super-red Muscat variety are round or oval in shape, with a scarlet, almost purple skin after the final ripening. The berries are collected in clusters of the correct cylindrical shape of 300-400 g. The variety has a relatively low sugar content of 18-20%, therefore it rarely suffers from wasps and other insects, which is its important advantage.
The crop of the Super Red variety is stored for a long time, does not rot or crack, so grapes can be grown for transportation and sale. Muscat is often used to make dry and sweet wines. The advantages of the variety include high immunity to gray rot and other fungi. At the same time, mildew and oidium still pose a danger to grapes, so regular preventive spraying should be carried out for bushes.
You can collect Super Red Early Muscat already in July
Muscat Livadia
Ukrainian early variety with loose clusters of 500-800 g produces yellow-green elongated berries with 1-3 small seeds. It is characterized by high productivity, in warm summer it ripens by the end of July. It tolerates drought well and does not freeze at temperatures down to -21 ° C, rarely suffers from fungi and pests. The skin of the berries is dense, so the crop is not affected by wasps. The shoots of the variety ripen well, but need pruning for 4-6 eyes.
It is convenient to grow Livadia grapes on the site due to the compact size of the bushes. The variety is low, does not require pollination, rarely thickens and almost does not need to be formed. It develops well on loamy and sandy soils, but with proper care it can grow on almost any soil.
The sugar content of Livadia Muscat berries is relatively low – about 19%. This allows the variety to be used both for table purposes and for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages.
The taste qualities of the Livadia variety are highly dependent on the weather – in a cold rainy summer, the grapes become sour
Muscat Novoshakhtinsky
A hybrid variety with large 400 g clusters matures in about 115 days. Gives large round berries of purple-red color up to 10 g, the pulp of the fruit is juicy, crunchy, with a nutmeg-caramel flavor.
The Novoshakhtinskaya variety has a thin skin, but the grapes are not prone to cracking. It tolerates moderate winter frosts down to -24 ° C, demonstrates good keeping quality and is suitable for transportation. But resistance to diseases in grapes is low, in particular, the variety often suffers from black rot.
Novoshakhtinsky Muscat bears fruit abundantly, but its ripening is uneven
Muscat
Domestic table muscat grape variety for the Central Black Earth region has fast-growing shoots and green or grayish leaves. Clusters are small, on average up to 130 g by weight. The fruits of the variety are greenish-yellow with an amber tint, the pulp is very juicy in taste and fragrant.
Muscat requires shelter at temperatures below -22 ° C, is not affected by mildew, but suffers from powdery mildew and gray rot. The disadvantage of the variety is the tendency to crack. For transportation, grapes are rarely grown, it is recommended to use it fresh immediately after harvest.
Muscat reaches full ripeness in 120 days
Noble
Muscat white grape variety of hybrid origin with conical tassels up to 600 g produces very large berries. Some of them can reach 18 g by weight. The fruits of the variety are egg-shaped, with a thin but dense white skin. The frost resistance of grapes is average – up to -23 ° C, therefore it is better to grow bushes in the southern regions.
Noble Muscat matures in an average of 115 days
Muscat Moscow
Muscat grape variety for the south of Our Country and the middle zone grows on average up to 1,8 m. It develops rapidly, has large leaves with slight pubescence at the base. Brings medium-sized fruit clusters of cylindrical-conical shape.
The berries of Moscow Muscat are light green. Inside the fruits are sweet, juicy and crispy, with 2-3 small seeds. When grown in the sun, Moscow Muscat acquires a yellowish tint. The skin of the berries is dense, but thin. Ripening occurs in an average of 3,5-4 months, the sweetness of the fruit is determined, among other things, by weather conditions and the amount of sunlight.
Moscow Muscat is suitable for growing in temperate climates, although when the temperature drops to -25 ° C or more, it requires shelter. Prefers sunny sites and does not bear fruit well in the shade. Rarely suffers from fungal infections, but needs treatments for spider mites and other insects. It prefers loose and acidic soils, although in the absence of waterlogging it can successfully develop on almost any soil.
The sugar content of Moscow Muscat is on average 17,5%, the taste is slightly sour
Far Eastern
A hybrid variety of Muscat grapes was bred by breeders from Primorye. The yield of the plant is average, but the clusters are very small – only about 80 g each. Racemes are usually conical, rarely branched, individual berries are rounded and slightly flattened, with a whitish-yellow skin and a pleasant sweet taste. The weight of the fruit is 1,5-2 g, the sugar content is at the level of 24%.
Far Eastern Muscat ripens by mid-summer and is suitable for growing in the northern regions
Muscat Dievsky
One of the best Muscat grape varieties for wine and table use, it has a good maturation of the vine and a high survival rate of cuttings. It has medium-sized bushes and large leaves with a slight dissection, fully ripens within 120 days.
The brushes of the Dievsky variety are large, up to 800 g by weight, moderately loose. The berries are very large, oval with a white or yellowish dense skin, up to 20 g. They are characterized by a harmonious taste and high juiciness, suitable for fresh consumption and for making homemade wine.
Dyevsky Muscat calmly withstands cold snaps down to -23 C, tolerates drought and high humidity, develops well on all types of soils. In general, it shows a good yield, although it may decrease in rainy seasons. Susceptibility to fungi and pests in the variety is average; with regular preventive treatments, grapes rarely suffer from diseases and insects.
When growing Dievsky Muscat, attention should be paid to pruning. The variety bears fruit quite abundantly, as a result of which the vines are overloaded. Before the harvest begins to ripen, it is recommended to shorten them, otherwise the berries will not reach their maximum size and will turn out to be small.
Dyevsky Muscat is filmed in mid-August under favorable weather conditions
Crispy
Hybrid muscat grapes belong to the table group of varieties, bring medium-sized brushes up to 600 g in weight. The fruits are large and weighty, up to 16 g, elongated with rounded tips. The skin of the grapes is red-violet, the berries are beautiful and do not turn black when ripe.
The fruits taste sweet with a hint of musky, juicy and crispy. They remain on the branches for a long time and do not crumble, do not crack or rot. Khrustinka grapes are suitable for long-term transportation; you can store the crop at a low temperature for three months.
When grown in the south, Muscat Khrustinka can produce clusters of more than 1 kg in weight
Conclusion
Muscat grape varieties are considered elite due to their particularly sweet taste and unusual tart aroma. They are distinguished by good fruiting, but make high demands on growing conditions. Even frost-resistant varieties need a lot of heat and sunlight.
