Description and characteristics of the Bastardo grape variety, history and cultivation rules

Huge plantations in France, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova are devoted to the cultivation of Bastardo grapes, one of the best varieties for winemaking. It is also cultivated in the southern regions of Russia. The technically ripe berries of the Bastardo and Bastardo Magarachsky varieties have long been used for the preparation of ports and noble wines of various strengths.

Bastardo grapes - description

The variety is self-fertile, its flowers are bisexual. The clusters are formed small. When mature, the weight of each of them is from 150 to 175 g, with a length from 11 to 14 cm and a width at the base from 9 to 11 cm. The structure is conical, the looseness is average. The berries are medium and small in size. The berries have from 2 to 4 seeds.

The winter hardiness of the varieties is average, as well as to fungal infections of oidium and mildew. Bastardo's main enemy is gray rot. With the exception of small discrepancies in the description of leaves and distances between nodes, the Magarachsky variety matches the appearance of the bunches and berries with Bastardo.

Legend and historical background

Some historical sources claim that the birthplace of this grape variety is France, which, obviously, is facilitated by the name of the variety. Translated from French, “Bastardo” means an illegitimate nobleman. Others include France, Armenia, Portugal. If you believe more ancient handwritten sources, then the winegrowers of Ancient Hellas were involved in the first selection of varieties for winemaking.

The legend of the creation of Bastardo wine

The beginning of the 19th century, winemaking is at a low stage of development. Despite the large areas allocated for vineyards of different varieties, there are not so many types of wines. The ruler of Portugal, Fernando II, decided to encourage his subjects to create a new variety of wine with a gift of 300 hectares of land for vineyards. The condition for receiving the reward was to create a bright, exquisite bouquet.

Many tried to please their king, but none of the drinks presented fully satisfied the noble person.

The prize would have remained unpresented if not for a happy coincidence of circumstances - while rushing to present home-made drinks to Fernando II for a tasting, a commoner girl and a young man from a wealthy family collided, the girl’s container cracked during the collision, and the wine spilled onto the ground. The guy offered to pour the rest of it into his jug, presenting the wine to the king as the fruit of common efforts. Thus, the mutual sympathy of the young people helped create an interesting blend of Bastardo wine, with a strength ratio of 16% and 12% sugar.

When the king asked who created this amazing drink, the lovers began to give primacy to each other. Thanks to the wisdom of the sovereign, the wine received its name “Bastardo”, an illegitimate nobleman in whom weak and strong blood are mixed.

Description of appearance

Young shoots are distinguished by white tops with a crimson tint; characteristic fluff is observed in the upper part. It disappears as the bark thickens. On two-year-old shoots there is no longer any down, and their bark becomes light brown.

Small, smooth, 5-lobed leaves with slight dissection. The short lateral fusions of the leaf are more reminiscent of a lyre; the petiole has a deep oval notch. On the underside of the leaf blade there is delicate pubescence, with bristles on the veins. In the Bastardo Magarach variety, the leaf has a more saturated color; the leaves are distinguished by an uneven, asymmetrical carved border along the edge.

Qualitative characteristics

The bush has 50% fruit-bearing shoots. From one hectare planted with a hybrid variety, from 107 to 180 centners of berries are harvested per season. The variety is noted to be resistant to frost and drought.

When forming a bush, a low and high standard of the crop is determined, which is dictated by the climatic conditions of the region where Bastardo grapes are grown.

Ripening time

The growing season of the Bastardo grape variety lasts 146-150 days. The harvest has time to ripen only in warm, sunny regions.

An unsurpassed variety for winemaking

The combination of acids and sugars in the mass fraction of juice obtained from Bastardo berries is considered unsurpassed. Sweetness is ≈ 23.5%, acidity is about 8%. The ratio of acids to sugar in the berries of this grape variety makes Bastardo the optimal raw material for the production of dark ruby ​​dessert wines, distinguished by:

• long aftertaste;
• enveloping texture;
• velvety aroma;
• notes of chocolate.

Bastardo grapes are used in the production of semi-sweet, dry, fortified wines.

Resistance to diseases and pests

Resistance to mildew and oidium diseases is assessed as average. The Bastardo variety has weak resistance to gray rot; it can be caused by relatively cool air temperatures and oversaturation of the soil with moisture.

Description of berries

One bunch produces relatively large berries, up to 15.5 mm in length and 12 mm in width, and smaller, oval ones. The peel is dark blue, the flesh is red-burgundy, at a certain stage of ripening with greenish veins. The berry has from 2 to 4 seeds.

Growing and caring for vines

Each region where Bastardo grapes grow has its own characteristics of care, which is determined by the density and fertility of the soil, the humidity or aridity of the region, and the real, and not calendar, dates of the onset of spring.

Trimming

When forming a low trunk during autumn pruning, 4-5 buds are left on the vine. More gentle pruning is recommended for a tall trunk - 6-8 buds should remain on the shoot.

Irrigation

When growing grapes, 4 mandatory abundant waterings per season are recommended:

• beginning of flowering;
• formation of ovaries;
• weight gain in clusters;
• before the onset of cold weather.

Considering that the Bastardo variety is mainly grown in mild climatic zones, during periods of drought, at the stage of the berries picking up juice, the irrigation method should be used. The system, which turns on automatically, will allow you to grow grapes over large areas without the involvement of additional labor.

Top dressing

Grapes practically do not require organic fertilizing, but at the stage of flowering and fruit formation, it is imperative to saturate the soil with nitrogen, at least twice per season. When the berries are formed, phosphate fertilizing is required. Mineral complexes are added to the soil as needed, which can be judged by the appearance of the bush.

Protection from diseases and pests

At the stage preceding flowering, the vine must be sprayed with insecticides. If the leaves, bark are damaged by diseases or insect pests, the shoot is cut off immediately and burned. All fallen fruits and leaves must be regularly removed from under the bushes; they can cause damage to the plant.

Harvesting and application

The berries ripen simultaneously. As a raw material for wine, the harvest is harvested at the stage of technical maturity and immediately sent for processing - the production of must. Overripe grapes are suitable for drying raisins, but this processing method is rarely used due to the presence of seeds. Like any berries, sweet Bastardo can be eaten raw.