Traminer pink grape (Gewurztraminer)

Traminer pink nutmeg is the most amazing technical variety. Only he can provide such a wonderful bouquet of wines made from this variety, reminiscent of the aroma of roses, and even Chinese lychee, and also gives the drinks a beautiful rich color.

The history of this grape is full of secrets. After all, this is the oldest variety in Central Europe. Two variations of it are known - with pink berries and white ones. The most common is Traminer pink.

Some experts believe that it is a mutation of the Sauvignen Blanc grape. The old Austrian (according to other sources, French) grape variety in its biological characteristics belongs to the Western European grape varieties.

It is considered one of the most valuable wine grape varieties. It is used mainly for the production of juices, and most importantly - table, as well as dessert and even champagne products of fairly high quality. In Transcarpathia, famous vintage wines are made from it.

This wine variety is especially widespread in Central Europe; it prevails in the vineyards of southern Germany, Austria (Tyrol), and northern Italy. In the 50s of the last century, Traminer pink was brought to Russia (the southern coast of Crimea), after which it ended up in the vineyards of Ukraine and the North Caucasus.

Nowadays, the industrial volumes of vineyards with this variety are present on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory, a slightly smaller amount can be found in Ukraine, Moldova, Stavropol Territory. There are separate plantings of Traminer pink in other regions of the Russian Federation.

Bushes of Traminer pink are characterized by medium vigor, but in industrial cultivation there are also low-growing ones.

Saplings have branches that are characterized by spreading. The main difference between grapes is not very large, rough leaves with rounded teeth. There is pubescence on the underside. The leaves are green in color, differing in a reddish-pink tint. There are 3 or 5 blades on the sheet. In the fall, the leaves turn yellow.

Traminer pink is a typical wine grape variety with a medium ripening period. For example, in the Anapa district of the Krasnodar Territory, it ripens in early September. At the same time, 139 days usually pass from the first emerging leaves and buds to full maturity of fruits, which can already be used in making table wine, and all 155 should pass for dessert products. Therefore, in the second case, the harvest takes place at the beginning of October.

The grapes of the described variety have a small or medium-sized bunch, sometimes with a wing, dense, cylindrical-conical. The length of the bunch is on average from 8 to 14 cm, in width - from 7 to 10 cm. The stem of the cluster is short, about 4 cm.Average hand weight - 0.9 kg.

Traminer pink is distinguished by medium-sized pale pink grapes, 1.2 g each. The length of the berry is from 14 to 16 mm, and the width is 12-14 mm. Weak oval, rounded, has a bluish bloom of pruin. The rind is quite dense, even thick. Colorless juice, there are seeds - from 1 to 3 pieces.

One of the oldest wine grape varieties has a fairly simple harmonious taste, high-sugar, with persisting acidity.

The culture is distinguished by high yield rates, however, it varies - in different years it is different. As for fruiting shoots, there are 50-60% of them on one bush.

The old technical grape variety has rather high demands for the climate where it will be grown, since the culture has a rather significant tendency to shedding during the ovary flowering period.

The main disadvantage of the plant is the rather slow process of restoring growth and yield after frosts, if they were distinguished by their severity. The grapes are also unstable to dry weather.

To get a high yield, the crop must be planted on fertile as well as moist soils. The plots must be irrigated. The ideal landing site is the slopes of low mountains from the south and west, with chernozem soils or light calcareous loams.

The distance between plants should be one and a half meters. Most often, the vine is formed with a standard-free multi-arm fan, with a supply of a perennial wood base. However, in different climatic conditions, it is grown in different ways. For example, in Transcarpathia, the variety is very successfully grown using the high-stem technology.

Additional pollination measures are not required, since Traminer pink has bisexual flowers.

Pruning must be carried out during cultivation. So, for one shoot, the number of brushes should be:

• on developing - from 0.7 to 0.9;
• on the fruitful one - from 1.2 to 1.5.

Fruiting arrows are left long, so that there are at least 10 eyes on them.

Traminer pink is a fairly frost-resistant variety, in this it is not inferior to other similar crops, such as Rhine Riesling, as well as Cabernet, Sauvignon and Rkatsiteli.

The variety, originally from Europe, is affected by mildew and gray rot, the resistance reaches 2.5 points. Often it is attacked by a grape leafworm.

As already noted, Traminer pink is primarily used in the production of table wines, as well as sparkling wines of very high quality, and generally it is not particularly stored, but is immediately processed. But there is a nuance. If the berries are overripe, they will accumulate the largest amount of sugar. In connection with this feature, on the southern coast of Crimea, in Transcarpathia and in other regions, dessert wines are made from such berries. According to the tasters, they are of very good quality.