Characteristics of the Bianca grape variety: description, photos and reviews about it

Advantages and disadvantages

The Bianca grape variety has some features that every gardener who decides to grow it should know about.

The main advantages of "Bianka":

• Early maturation.
• Consistently high yield.
• Fast growth.
• Frost resistance.
• Lack of tendency for berries to fall and pea.
• Resistance to powdery mildew.
• High sugar and alcohol content, moderate acidity.
• Beautiful appearance of the bunches.

Also, these grapes are able to independently recover and resume fruiting after illness or freezing.

The variety does not have too many disadvantages. These include:

• Poor transport tolerance.
• Susceptibility to attacks by wasps and birds.
• Low resistance to Alternaria fungi.
• Requirements for lighting and humidity levels.
• Difficulty in manual harvesting due to the small size of the bunches.

In addition, the berries have a short shelf life and need immediate processing.

History of selection

Bianca is a hybrid grape variety that was bred in 1963 by Hungarian breeders by crossing two varieties - Villars Blanc and Chasselas Bouvier. Among the hybrids, Delight Black, Monarch and Vanyusha are also known.

Distributed in many wine-growing regions, including the south of Russia (Rostov region, Krasnodar region), Ukraine, Belarus and other countries (Poland, Germany, etc.).

Main characteristics

“Bianca” is one of the best wine grape varieties that can be grown both in private farmsteads and on an industrial scale. The best also include wine varieties such as Merlot, Marquette and Saperavi.

Maturation period and class

This is an early ripening grape variety. The harvest can be harvested 110-120 days after the start of the growing season , i.e. in late July-early August when grown in the southern regions and in the second half of August in the central zone.

Bush

The bushes are characterized by medium growth vigor; tall specimens are extremely rare and are subject to shortening. The vine is dense, well developed, and can withstand a bountiful harvest.

The leaf blades are medium-sized, five-lobed, round in shape, glossy, dark green.

Bunches and berries

At the end of July-August, medium-dense clusters of cylindrical or cylindrical-conical shape are formed on the bushes. The brushes look attractive despite their small size and average weight of 150-200 g. With careful care of the bushes, you can increase the weight of the bunches to 500 g, but this happens rarely and requires significant costs and effort.

The berries are small, have a round shape, weigh on average 1.5-2.5 g and are covered with a thin but durable yellow-green skin, which, as the fruit ripens, acquires a warmer amber hue.

The pulp is fleshy and juicy, contains a lot of water, and contains 1-3 small seeds inside.

The sugar content of the fruit is 28%, the alcohol content is 14%, and the acidity level is 7%.

Reference! If the harvest is harvested 2-3 weeks later than its ripening, the acidity of the berries drops to 3-5%.

Taste

The fruits have a rich, harmonious, characteristic grape taste and almond flavor. According to tasters, the taste may have a slight honey or floral aftertaste.

Productivity

The variety has a fruiting rate of 90-100%. With proper care and favorable weather conditions, up to 20 kg of berries can be harvested from 1 bush, the yield from 1 hectare of land reaches 200 centners.

Care

We will learn further how to care for Bianca grapes growing on a personal plot.

Watering

The vine loves well-moistened soil, so watering is necessary in this case, regular and quite abundant. For small plantings, gardeners usually make do with regular watering of the root zone or trench. If the vineyard area is large, it is more logical to choose drip irrigation.

The optimal water consumption is a 10 liter bucket per bush. This proportion is calculated for one procedure.

Mulching

The procedure in this case should definitely not be neglected. Mulching prevents the evaporation of moisture from the soil, so it helps the roots stay moisturized and fresh longer.

The following is used as mulch:

• dry straw;
• fallen leaves;
• sawdust.

If you don’t have any available materials, you can also use professional mulching materials sold in stores. They are usually a dark-colored film.

Feeding rules

• The application of nutrients should be carried out throughout the growing season.
• In the spring you should feed Bianca with superphosphate and ammonium sulfate;
• In the fall, nutrients are also added, but mainly organic. The purpose of autumn feeding is to help the grapes survive the coming winter.

Trimming

The vine must be shortened annually and the ovaries normalized. Otherwise, the bush may become overloaded, which will greatly reduce the quality of the harvest.

Formative pruning is carried out in the spring, and in the fall the plant is subjected to sanitary pruning. In addition, throughout the growing season it is necessary to fight against stepsons that take away nutrients from the vine.

Sometimes the plant needs thinning. In this case, excess shoots and leaves are removed. This opens up better access of air and light to the lower layers of the crown. The procedure helps prevent the plant from fungus and mold formations.

Wintering

Bianca grapes have good resistance to cold. However, if frosts in the region in winter are below -25-27 degrees, it is recommended to cover the vine.

Prevention

This variety is resistant to common pests and diseases that affect grapes.

Bianca bravely resists mildew, oidium, and other numerous fungi. To the delight of gardeners, the plant shows resistance even to the dangerous phylloxera

However, the death of most of the crop is sometimes caused by wasps and birds. These flying pests love to feast on sweet berries. To protect crops from insects and birds, gardeners use spraying, nets, and other measures.

You can learn more about the variety from the video:

Comparison with analogues

Next, let’s compare “Bianca” with some similar varieties.

Features of cultivation

Bianca grapes do not require special care. To obtain a high-quality and abundant harvest, it is enough to follow standard agrotechnical rules.

Landing

The vine should be planted in the ground at the end of March or April. More precise dates depend on the climatic conditions of the region, since it is necessary to take into account the main conditions for planting seedlings - the average daily air temperature must be at least +10 °C, and the soil must warm up to +9 °C.

In the case when planting is carried out in the fall, you should focus on the beginning of October, the time when the vine sheds its leaves.

The area for planting grapes should be located on a hill (this will protect the soil from excessive moisture), be well lit and protected from wind and drafts.

Bianca grapes prefer light, fertile soil with low or neutral acidity, with good aeration and moisture permeability. Chalk, dolomite flour or lime should be added to acidic soil in advance, and humus or rotted manure should be added to sandstones. More details about ideal soil in a separate article.

Watering and fertilizing

“Bianka” responds well to watering, but the soil under the bushes must not be over-moistened and soggy, so it is necessary to focus on the condition of the top layer of soil - watering is required after it has completely dried.

Each bush, depending on weather conditions, requires 7-10 liters of slightly heated water, which should be poured into a hole dug next to the plant. If there are a large number of bushes, you can use the trench irrigation method or resort to a drip irrigation system.

Important! You should not water grapes during flowering and 18-20 days before harvest.

After watering, the ground should be mulched - this prevents not only the evaporation of moisture, but also the early germination of weeds.

Plants need to be fertilized 3 times during the season:

• In the spring, using phosphates and potassium products.
• Before the start of the growing season, use nitrogenous fertilizers.
• In the fall, to strengthen the bushes before wintering, you should fertilize them with superphosphate and ammonium sulfate.

You can also use wood ash, which not only serves as food for the roots, but also acts as a means of preventing infections.

Trimming

Bushes should be trimmed in the spring, leaving about 30-40 shoots, and in the fall, removing dry, diseased or damaged vines. It is also recommended to remove excess leaves to ensure good sun access to the bunches and increase ventilation to prevent the development of fungal diseases and mold formation.

Reference! For the “bianca” variety, short pruning to 2-3 eyes is recommended.

Diseases and pests

The variety is resistant to powdery mildew (oidium), downy mildew (mildew), phylloxera and other diseases characteristic of this crop. At the same time, “bianca” can be affected by Alternaria fungi, especially tenuissima disease.

The variety is not afraid of insect attacks, but measures should be taken to protect the fruits from wasps and birds.

Frost resistance

Bianca grapes have good frost resistance and can tolerate frosts down to -27 °C, which makes them suitable for cultivation even in northern regions.

When grown in a southern climate, bushes older than 3 years need not be covered; younger plants grown in the middle zone need to cover the vine with fallen leaves, film, spruce branches or fiberglass.

Harvest storage

Harvesting should be done using scissors, carefully cutting off ripe bunches. You need to store brushes in wooden boxes, spreading the crop on the bottom in a thin layer and sprinkling it with sawdust. However, it should be remembered that due to their thin skin, the berries are not suitable for long-term storage and require quick sale and processing.

Regions

The variety is approved for cultivation in the North Caucasus and Central Black Earth regions, and is also successfully cultivated in the southern regions of Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Belarus and Russia.

Enemy number one is wasps!

In addition, grapes are often attacked by wasps. To eliminate the problem, you can make gauze covers for brushes. This way, wasps will not have access to the grapes.

Mesh bags and placed baits will save you from wasps.

Another possible means of repelling insects is planting spices under bushes . The pungent aroma of spices will repel wasps, thereby protecting the berries from damage. And also the fruits are often attacked by birds.

In order to protect the brushes and not harm feathered pests, you can make mesh bags from thin wire and put them on the bunches . The soft wire will prevent birds from getting tangled, thereby protecting the crop.

Useful properties and how to use it

100 g of berries contain 0.08 g of fat, 0.54 g of protein and 14.93 g of carbohydrates, as well as many useful vitamins and microelements. Recommended consumption rate is 150-200 g of grapes 3-4 times a week. The calorie content of berries is 65 Kcal per 100 g.

Bianca grapes are used to make:

• High-quality and aromatic semi-sweet and blended dry wines.
• Cognac with an almond-like taste and a vanilla aftertaste.
• Spicy vodka.

In addition, the fruits can be used to decorate and prepare desserts, blended juices, and young leaves will be an ideal addition to tea compositions.

Variety Bianca: description

The grape bushes of this variety are medium in size. They have dark green leaves with a smooth surface. The Bianca variety is an early ripening variety , so ripe clusters appear on the bushes already in early August. Its feature is high fruiting rates. When growing this variety, all shoots give a 100% harvest. Each one has two to three inflorescences. If the gardener has provided proper care for the bushes, then during the growing season the shoots show active growth. Grapes planted from cuttings begin to bear fruit within 3 years. From a plantation of 1 hectare you can get 200 kg of fruit.

Photo

Below, see photos and reviews of the “Bianca” variety.

Reviews

The variety is magnificent, correct, ripens early. The wine from Bianchi is very tasty. Alexander, Nikolaev

Over the past season, without any treatments against diseases, there was not a speck or a hint of disease. Ivan Vasilievich, Kherson

Bianca is an excellent variety, the yield is stable and high, my clusters reached 230 grams, the sugar accumulation is high and the wine really turns out excellent. Plant it - you won't regret it. Andrey, Krasnodar

The taste is very sweet and the homemade wine from Bianchi is excellent. Denis Vladimirovich, Tver region.