Richelieu grapes

The Richelieu grape immediately attracts attention with its name. But it is important to find out how well he will prove himself, whether he will live up to expectations. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with information about the taste, and the specifics of cultivation, and about other subtleties of this culture.

The main breeding work took place in the OV "Vinogradnaya Elita". Ukrainian breeders took as a basis the varieties Strashensky and Kodryanka. It is worth noting that Richelieu has 2 synonyms at once: SK-73 and the digital index 50-21-73. The main attention was paid to achieving the earliest ripening of full-fledged berries.

The variety is deservedly loved by Ukrainian farmers. He also did not pass over Russian vineyards. And even in the Caucasus, where its own wine-making culture has been flourishing for a long time, Richelieu also took its rightful place. For other territories, the variety is not zoned, cultivation is carried out at your own peril and risk.

Richelieu has vigorous and vigorous shrubs. The vine is light brown and grows 3 meters in height. Its thickness is 5 centimeters. The leaves have a rich green color.

This indicator in most cases ranges from 115 to 120 days. But we must understand that this is nothing more than a rough guideline. In a particular year, grapes can ripen earlier or later, depending on weather conditions. The required sum of active temperatures is 2700 degrees. And yet, in general, the variety deservedly belongs to a very early group.

Visually, the Richelieu brush resembles a cone. Most of the bunches are moderately dense. Loose specimens are rare. The weight of the hand can vary from 0.6 to 0.8 kg. Such an unpleasant moment as peas is completely excluded.

The basic information about them is as follows:

• dark blue expressive color;
• oval configuration;
• the weight is from 9 to 11 g;
• size - 30-31x26-27 mm.

Richelieu's skin is dense, but quite edible. The fleshy and juicy flesh leaves a pleasant sensation. She has a consistently harmonious taste. Tasters note the sweetness of the berries. They also have a comfortable sweet and sour aftertaste.

The number of fruits in Richelieu grapes is quite large. 1 shoot accounts for from 0.9 to 1.5% of bunches. But the achievement of the maximum result is ensured only with proper care of the plant. And this point needs to be given no less attention than the basic characteristics.

Richelieu is one of the varieties that require regular maintenance. Watering and timely feeding with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are extremely important.

This variety is planted only in well-heated areas. For him, a southwest orientation is preferable. The optimal planting time is autumn. But this must be done in the first days of September in order to get ahead of the onset of frost.It is unacceptable to choose places that are blown by the winds.

The fact that the variety contains bisexual flowers becomes its advantage. Under normal conditions, there is simply no need to additionally pollinate plants. If things get worse, bee hives will have to be brought in. But in many cases, planting of melliferous plants is sufficient.

The strong growth of culture makes it necessary to resort to such a measure always. You need to cut vines up to 10 eyes. Plant formation should be repeated regularly. About 25% of green shoots are left without clusters. This allows you to redirect power to other branches as much as possible.

The originators declared a temperature limit of -27 degrees. But precautions in viticulture are not superfluous. With the onset of early cold weather, you will have to cover the culture with straw or hay. It is unacceptable to use old areas of vines. They will only become a favorable shelter for dangerous parasites.

The overall resistance to fungi is high. However, "cardinal" grapes are sometimes prone to gray rot. Birds can be stopped with nets. You will definitely have to fight with wasps. You will also have to carry out processing against:

• anthracnose;
• oidium;
• mildew;
• bacteriosis.

The readiness of the berries for picking is judged by their taste, not by their color. In cool, ventilated rooms, the crop can be saved for 2-3 months. There is no need to use refrigerators. Longer storage is possible after processing. Richelieu grapes are used to make both ordinary winter preparations and homemade wines.