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

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any other variety, “early gourmet” has its advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

• Harvest stability.
• Ability for long-term storage and long-distance transportation.
• Pleasant harmonious taste.
• Good resistance to fungal diseases.
• Beautiful and massive brushes.

Minuses:

• The presence of only female flowers on the bush.
• Mandatory shelter for the winter.

Pruning and propagation

Pruning must be done in the fall. It is recommended to leave no more than 35 eyes on the bush. The ratio of shoots is up to 24.

You can propagate grapes yourself. There are many ways. One of the simplest ones is propagation by layering in the summer.

The mother bush must be healthy. At a distance of 20 cm, a hole about 50 cm deep is dug. The soil needs to be loosened and peat or humus added. Remove the lower leaves from the cuttings and dig in. Water generously. Depending on weather conditions, moisten the soil regularly.

Over time, the stepsons formed on the layering are removed in order to form a bush.

Origin

Famous breeder and amateur V.N. Krainov, as a result of repeated crossing of “sultana radiata” and “talisman” over the course of 10 years, received a whole line of hybrids, which went down in the history of viticulture under the general name “gourmet”. One of these varieties was first given the name “Novocherkassk Red”, and later – “Gourmet Early”.

Parents of the “early gourmet” – “Kishmish Radiant” and “Talisman”

Reference! Together with the “early gourmet” V.N. Krainov bred the varieties “rainbow”, “gourmand”, “flashlight”, “graceful” from the parent pair “kishmish radiant” and “talisman”. They all have a lot of similar characteristics, but each of them has its own “zest”.

Diseases and pests

The variety is quite resistant to diseases and pests. Particularly high resistance to mildew and gray rot. Resistance to oidium is average. Occasionally damaged by anthracnose.

Oidium is very rarely found in an adult bush. Young, immature bushes are most susceptible to this disease. The manifestation of this disease is characterized by the presence of a gray coating on the leaves and berries of the plant. As a result, the berries subsequently rot and the leaves dry out.

To avoid diseases, it is necessary to take preventive measures:

• use of foliar phosphorus and potassium fertilizers;
• periodic use of biological products;
• enrichment with iron, zinc and manganese after flowering.

Anthracnose is typical for the southern regions. It occurs as a result of improper care, especially with regard to pruning the vine. The lesion covers the entire plant: branches, trunk and berries. If treatment is not carried out in time, the grapes will die. Such problems can be avoided. You need to learn how to properly carry out autumn pruning and treat the vine with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.

Various pests can also cause damage to plants. In particular, these include spider mites, birds and various insects.

Main characteristics

“Gurman early” is a vigorous early grape with a harmonious, pleasant taste and beautiful fleshy tassels.

Ripening period

“Gourmand early” is so named for a reason: the duration of its growing season is approximately 110 days. The variety is considered an early ripening variety, with the first harvest available in early August, although some variations in the date may be explained by differences in regional latitude or prevailing weather conditions.

Bush

“Gourmet early” is a vigorous plant. The vine matures 2/3 of its length during the season. The recommended formation of the bush is in the form of a fan or on a regular single-row trellis.

The variety's leaves are medium-sized, five-lobed, deep green in color.

Important! The flowers are female, which indicates the need for pollination by nearby grape bushes with bisexual or male flowers.

Bunches and berries

The cylindrical bunches are large in size, the average weight of each of them is 600 g - 1.5 kg. The density of the brush structure is medium.

The elongated lilac-pink berries of the variety weigh about 10 g. Their pulp is dense, crisp, and seedless. The skin is thin and cannot be felt when chewing.

The sugar level in berries is 17 - 21%, acidity - 6 - 7 hl. The berries of the variety are distinguished by a harmonious sweet taste with a light and pleasant sourness.

Productivity

“Gourmet Early” is distinguished by a stable harvest: 15-20 kg per bush or 200 centners per hectare.

Description of the variety

According to the description from the State Register, Gurman Early is a table variety with a very early ripening period (the berries reach full ripeness 110–115 days after the beginning of the growing season). The bushes are characterized by medium growth vigor. Strong light brown vines are covered with medium-sized three- or five-lobed leaves with a net-wrinkled surface. The flowers are female, blooming in early June.

Flowering begins in the first ten days of June in the southern regions and in the second half of June in the middle zone

The clusters are formed of a fairly large size (on average 500–600 g, sometimes 1000–1300 g) and have a conical shape. The elongated oval berries are very large in size (weight 7–11 g). A dense but thin skin, which can be colored pink in various shades, covers the fleshy flesh. When the clusters are shaded, the berries may take on a lilac hue.

Gourmand's clusters consist of very large pink berries

The taste of the grapes has a pleasant harmony due to the high sugar content (15.6 g per 100 cm3) and a sufficient amount of acid (4.9 g/l). A characteristic feature of the grapes is a muscat flavor and a light floral aroma. Tasters give the taste of fresh grapes a score of 9.1 points.

Each berry contains 2–3 medium-sized seeds.

Early Gourmand grapes on video

Comparison with analogues

The “early gourmand” variety significantly outperforms other varieties of early-ripening pink grapes in terms of the weight of the bunch and the duration of storage of the crop.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The “early gourmet” grape is distinguished by a large number of positive reviews from gardeners.

Among the advantages, lovers of juicy berries note:

• early maturation of the crop;
• stable and rich harvest;
• good disease resistance;
• subtle unusual taste of berries;
• quite promising for both individual and mass cultivation.

The disadvantages of the variety include the need for mandatory high-quality shelter during cold spells, which is fully compensated for in the new season by a rich harvest.

Light, tasty, early ripening, and not causing much trouble, early “gourmet” grapes are loved by gardeners for their incomparable qualities. With proper care, the plant will fully thank grape lovers with its generous harvest.

Tags: grapes, gourmet, red, Novocherkassk, early

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Useful properties and use

In addition to vitamins and minerals, pink grapes contain large quantities of biologically active substances, the benefits of which are invaluable for human health.

Reference! The calorie content of early gourmand grapes is 69 kcal per 100 g.

“Early Gourmet” is a table variety, which is intended primarily for eating fresh. The berries can also be used to make wine and for culinary purposes. These grapes can be frozen or used for preservation.

Features of cultivation

“Gourmet Early” is a heat-loving variety that tolerates transportation well and, under favorable conditions, can be stored for up to 6 months.

Planting, watering and fertilizing

It is recommended to plant “Gourmand Early” grape seedlings in open ground in late April – early May. The main condition is to warm the air to +12ºС – +15ºС. If frosts unexpectedly occur after planting, the young plants should definitely be covered.

The best place for “gourmet” bushes is a place well lit by the sun, which will also be protected from drafts and gusts of cold wind. Groundwater should not come close to the soil surface: this may lead to the development of root rot. The preferred soil type is loose and fertile black soil or loam.

Important! If the soil acidity level exceeds 3%, it is necessary to lim the soil (3 kg of lime per 1 m2).

A young seedling needs watering every 7 to 10 days. After each watering, the soil surface must be loosened and mulched to retain moisture and prevent the growth of weeds.

It is enough to water an adult plant 4–5 times per season: when buds open, on the eve of flowering, during the ovary period, after harvesting. The optimal rate is 50 - 60 liters of water heated in the sun. It is recommended to pour water not directly under the root, but into irrigation furrows dug 50 cm from the base of the plant. Ideally, the vineyard is equipped with a drip irrigation system that allows you to maintain a constant level of soil moisture.

“Gourmet early” responds well to fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers. When planting, a sufficient amount of nutrients is poured into the planting hole, which is enough for 2 to 3 years. After that, every year, before flowering, it is recommended to apply root fertilizers based on phosphorus and potassium, and after flowering, foliar fertilizers with manganese, zinc and iron. In the fall, you can add solutions of manure or bird droppings under the bushes.

Trimming

Pruning of fruit-bearing vines is carried out in the spring by 6 - 8 buds. The maximum permissible load on a bush is 20–23 shoots and 30–35 eyes. At the same time, vines that died during the winter should be removed. In the fall, at the end of October - beginning of November, excess growth and immature shoots are usually removed, after which the plant is insulated for the winter.

Diseases and pests

“Gourmet early” is resistant to mildew, oidium and gray rot. However, there is always a chance of infection by them, especially in conditions of high humidity. Preventive treatments with sulfur, Bordeaux mixture or fungicides in the spring can prevent possible problems. The same treatments will help prevent the development of diseases such as anthracnose, which results in drying out of the brushes and vines.

The variety is vulnerable to spider and grape mites, so it is also advisable to treat it with insecticides (Aktellik, Fosbecid) and acaricides (Neoron, Apollo) as preventive measures.

Large berries attract birds and wasps. The most effective protection option is to install mechanical barriers: against birds - in the form of a dense mesh that completely cuts off the bushes from the outside world; from wasps - fine mesh nets placed directly on the bunches.

Wintering

The variety loves heat: a drop to -22ºС can destroy the grapes. In regions with a harsh climate, the crop can be grown in greenhouse conditions, and in areas with a temperate climate (middle zone, northern Ukraine, southern Belarus) - subject to reliable protection for the winter.

Harvest storage

“Gourmet early” can last up to 4–6 months in a cool, well-ventilated room without losing its presentation or taste.

Important! Despite the fact that the skin is thin, it is quite dense and is able to protect the berries from any mechanical damage. Bunches of “Gourmand Early” grapes are not afraid of long-distance transportation.

Productivity

Of course, the popularity of the Early Gourmet variety is explained not only by the rapid ripening of the fruits. In terms of yield, there are also excellent reviews about it. There are actually a lot of grapes ripening on the vines of this variety. Also, the yield of this hybrid, judging by reviews, is stable. However, in order for the grapes to produce equally rich harvests every year, it is recommended to prune them. In spring, approximately 22-24 shoots per 4-6 m2 (or 30-35 buds) are left on each bush. The shoots themselves are usually cut into 6-8 eyes.

Photo

Next, check out the photos and reviews about the “early gourmet” variety.

Reviews

Early gourmand is the most delicious of the varieties I grow. And it has a beautiful pink appetizing color. Pollinated well, despite the female flower. Evgeniy, Dnepr

I also have no problems with pollination. Valentin, Gorodishche, Cherkasy region.

Gourmand r. for me it is problem-free, with good care it is very technologically advanced and the main thing is taste, if there is no Gourmet in the vineyard, then the vineyard is not full of varieties, from one bush there are four and I don’t regret it, the berries don’t reach the market - we eat them all. Valery, Zaporozhye

Reviews of Gurman early grapes

Gardeners have a very good opinion about this variety. It is praised, as already mentioned, primarily for its harmonious flavor bouquet. According to many gardeners, this is one of the best varieties available today. Also among the advantages of this hybrid, summer residents include the fact that it reproduces very well from green cuttings.

The flowers of this variety are female. However, it is pollinated from neighboring bushes, according to summer residents, very well.

The yield of this grape is excellent, and the vine clusters hold up well. However, experienced gardeners do not recommend overloading the early Gourmet bushes too much. Otherwise, the berries of this grape will have reduced taste. There are good reviews about this variety from both summer residents of the Middle Zone, Siberia, and the Urals.

Gardeners mainly attribute the disadvantages of this variety to the large size of the seeds in the fruits. On top of everything else, they are also difficult to separate from the pulp.