When can Isabella grapes be harvested? White and red wine from Isabella grapes When to pick Isabella grapes in Belarus.

Isabella grapes belong to hybrid varieties. Its popularity and prevalence around the world is due to its versatility and unpretentiousness. Wine products, juices, and jam are prepared from the fruits, and the grape vine is often used to decorate the site, as an element landscape design. Next we will talk about growing rules and autumn pruning.

Isabella is the fruit of natural selection. The variety takes root well in different regions (southern regions, Moscow region, Volga region). The grapes ripen late, but produce a very rich harvest. In the presence of favorable conditions the weight of one brush can reach 2 kg. During the season, one vine can produce 50-60 kg of fruit. The harvest is harvested in October.

1. Black-purple fruits with a strong grayish coating are highly dense and durable. The grapes retain their presentation during transportation. The sweet and sour taste of the berries and the absence of a large number of seeds makes the variety incredibly popular.
2. Isabella fruits contain a number of substances that have a beneficial effect on the health of the body.
3. The unpretentiousness of the variety allows even a novice gardener to cope with planting and care. The variety takes root in any soil (the exception is the presence of lime in the soil) and does not require regular fertilizing.
4. Isabella tolerates low temperatures well. Under the film, the variety can withstand temperatures down to -35 0 C, without shelter - up to -28 0 C. Even after the onset of returning spring frosts, new shoots are visible after 2-3 weeks.
5. The variety is not susceptible to many diseases. Strong immunity allows you to resist fungal diseases and phylloxera. You don’t have to worry about the grapes even if neighboring varieties are infected. The only thing to be wary of is anthracnose. But preliminary prevention also eliminates this problem.
6. Isabella is not afraid of excess moisture. But grapes do not tolerate drought. Lack of water will negatively affect the amount of foliage, appearance and taste of the berries.
7. Grapes are easy to propagate. The cuttings take root well and require almost no care.

Rules for growing Isabella grapes

Features of planting seedlings depend on climatic conditions. From the moment of planting until the first cold weather, at least 2-2-.5 months should pass. Autumn planting is recommended only for the southern regions. In areas where the onset of winter is difficult to predict, it is better to plant Isabella in the spring.

The variety performs well in all types of soil, but fertile and slightly acidic soils are considered more favorable. The vine needs protection from strong winds and at the same time requires ventilation.

Important: Isabella is an unfavorable neighbor for fruit trees. The vine smothers them with roots, which leads to nutritional deficiency.

Plants that are 1 year old are best suited as seedlings. When purchasing, pay attention to the cleanliness and uniformity of the seedling’s bark, and the absence of stains or mechanical damage. The health of the seedlings is indicated by the white color on the cut roots and the greenish tint of the shoots.

Planting stages

1. To plant grapes, dig a hole 80 cm deep, 80 cm in diameter. The height of the drainage layer is 5-7 cm (mandatory preparation stage). The next layer is filled with a mixture of fertile turf, 15-20 liters of humus and 2.5-3 liters of wood ash. This is followed by a layer of earth 5 cm high. The procedure is repeated so that in the final version 5 layers are laid: drainage, fertilizer, soil, fertilizer, soil. The pit is generously filled with water (80-100 L).
2. Before planting, the seedling requires preparation. The roots of the plant are trimmed 24 hours before planting by a few cm. The roots should be immersed in water at room temperature. Crystals of potassium permanganate will help disinfect the surface, growth stimulants will increase the plant’s immunity.
3. 2-3 hours before planting, the roots are immersed in powdered clay or cow dung. As soon as the mass dries, you can begin planting.
4. A peg is installed in the center of the hole, which in the future will serve as a support for young grapes.
5. When placing a seedling in a hole, you need to carefully straighten the roots. Do not deepen the root collar too much. The distance from the shoots to the ground should be 3-4 cm.
6. After abundant watering (40-50 l), mulch is laid in the form of peat chips, humus, and fresh grass.
7. For the first 2-3 weeks, it is better for the seedling to remain under the protection of a shelter white(the material should not attract sunlight).

Important: if the goal is to create a vineyard, then the bushes should be planted at a distance of 1.5 m. A gap of 2.5-3 m is maintained between the rows.

Watering

The first 2 years the vine needs abundant and regular watering. Every week you need to add 15-20 liters of water to the root. Grown plants are watered in the same amount, but 2 times less often. Watering is stopped when the berries are picking up color. The final water-recharging watering is carried out in the fall. Each plant should receive at least 70 liters of water. Watering should end with mulching.

Isabella leaves should be protected from moisture. It would be a good idea to create a shelter over the grapes to protect them from rain. A system is being built for irrigation drip irrigation or they dig trenches between the rows, where they pour water.

Fertilizer

• The first stage occurs in the spring. Use nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
• Repeated fertilization is carried out during fruit set. Now the plant needs potassium and phosphorus.
• At the last stage, the grapes are fed with complex preparations.
• Once every 2-3 years, the plant should be supported with natural complementary foods.

Important: in regions with unpredictable winters, Isabella needs protection from severe frosts. To do this, the vine is bent to the ground, and peat, humus or pine branches are placed on top. All this is covered with covering material. Removing the shelter is allowed only when a constant air temperature has established itself at least 5 0 C.

Learning to prune grapes

Pruning Isabella grapes in the fall is the key to proper growth of the vine, increasing the quantity and quality of the harvest. Pruning helps give the vigorous Isabella vine the right direction.

Pruning is carried out no earlier than mid-October. First of all, weak and damaged stepsons are removed. The shoots of the current season are cut by 1/3, lignified shoots should become shorter by 2/3. On an adult vine, 12 buds are counted, the rest must be removed.

As soon as the plants are one year old, you can begin to form a vine. On a young vine, 7-8 shoots are counted, the rest is cut off. The vine should be tied so that it grows horizontally. Pay attention to the fold, it should not be sharp.

1. The cut is made at a slight angle, this helps to give the correct direction of the juice along the vine.
2. Do not cut at the root; small bulges should be left. This will speed up the healing process.
3. There should be no more than 3 cuts on each branch. Don't get carried away.

A detailed diagram of grape pruning is shown in the video tip:

Let's sum it up

• the Isabella variety is a natural hybrid;
• characterized by abundant harvest;
• unpretentious grapes, with high level natural protective functions and frost-resistant properties;
• Isabella must undergo correct and timely pruning, which will have a positive effect on the harvest;
• requires shelter in regions with cold winters.

Isabella grapes have a number of advantages. Planting and growing it does not require much experience. Even a beginner can reap a rich harvest. You need to take full responsibility when pruning vines in the fall. Following all the recommendations will allow you to cope with this task without difficulty.

Isabella and Lydia are grape varieties with sonorous and memorable names that bear fruit well not only in large vineyards at wineries, but also in our dachas. The area of ​​cultivation of these varieties is quite wide, from the south to the middle zone and even northern latitudes. By the way, the colder the climate, the fewer but sweeter the berries. Both varieties do not require special care; they are resistant to diseases characteristic of modern and more noble grape varieties.

They have good frost resistance, so they do not require. - a self-formed hybrid that was discovered by the American botanist V. Labrusque in the forests of South Carolina (USA). The berries are medium-sized and round in shape. The clusters are dense and weighty. The skin is dense, matte, dark blue, almost black. The matte appearance of the grapes is given by the so-called “natural wax”, which prevents rotting of the fruit.

Isabella grapes taste a little tart with pronounced sourness. There is enough sugar to make good wine. Although in some countries the production of a “sun drink” from this variety in industrial quantities is prohibited by law.

The Lydia variety is a high-yielding hybrid with a characteristic dark lilac color of berries, thick skin and a pleasant taste of the pulp. Ripening time occurs at the end of September for southern latitudes, and harvesting in the middle zone occurs in mid-October. Like Isabella, Lydia has a hard time with drought. Lack of moisture leads to shedding of leaves and prolonged ripening of fruits.

The similarity of the varieties is not accidental, since Lydia can safely be called Isabella’s sister. The same V. Labrusque noticed that some seedlings produce berries of a lilac hue, and isolated it as a separate variety. The similarity of the leaves, shape and weight of the clusters also indicate this. So can Lydia grapes cause harm to health?

The main complaints against the grapes of these popular varieties relate to the industrial production of wine, during which, as chemists have found, methanol is formed. Although many winegrowers think that Isabella’s grapes have acquired harmful properties, thanks to the fictions and breeding policies of European and American food corporations.

In fact, scientists have proven the increased formation of methanol during the production of wines not only from the Isabella and Lydia varieties, but also from all hybrids based on them.

In turn, doctors warn about the dangers of methanol-containing wines, the consumption of which can cause Alzheimer's disease and lead to brain cancer. "How so?" - summer residents and gardeners who do beautiful things will be indignant Home wine"many summers" of these grape varieties. “How dare you?” - lovers of young homemade wine will howl. It turns out that the wine from Isabella and Lydia is poison?

In fact, the Isabella grape, the benefits and harms of which provides food for thought and debate between wine lovers and scientists, approved in the USA and many European countries only as a variety for the production of juices and juice drinks. That’s why the local inhabitants drink Bordeaux and Chateau Royale. Decide for yourself what to do with Lydia and Isabella. Frankly speaking, our liver doesn’t care what we drink – homemade wine from varieties growing on the property, or an elite “drink of the gods”; alcohol is equally harmful if abused.

One of the most popular grape varieties among amateur winemakers is the Isabella variety. It makes a moderately sweet, slightly tart and overall pleasant drink. At the same time, the plant itself is unpretentious in cultivation and can withstand our frosts well. But we will talk about how to make wine from Isabella grapes at home.

Features of the Isabella grapes

Before starting production, you need to get acquainted with the variety in order to understand its characteristics and know what to expect from this variety. The variety belongs to the table-technical variety, which is used for making not only dessert wines, but also juices, jams, and compotes. The berries can be eaten fresh.

The bunch of grapes is dense, without gaps between the berries, cylindrical or cone-shaped. The dark, medium-sized berries have a light coating and a dense skin that is easily separated from the pulp. The latter has a strawberry aroma, about 16% sugar content and 6-7 g/l acidity. The seeds are small and in small quantities.

Did you know? The Isabella variety was developed in America several hundred years ago. It was obtained by crossing the varieties “Vitis Vinifera” and “Vitis Labruska”. A significant contribution to its development was made by breeder William Prince, who brought it to the characteristics for which the variety is famous today.

This is a late-ripening grape variety that has high yields and resistance to frost and disease. From the moment the first bud appears until the berries finish ripening, about 180 days pass. The berries are ready for harvesting in September - October. You can collect up to 70 centners of crop per hectare. Two main varieties are cultivated: dark, or classic, and white, which is called “Noah”. All grape varieties take root well in different climatic zones. The only thing is that in a cold zone the berries may not have time to ripen.

Harvesting dates and rules for preparing berries

As already stated, grapes ripen in September - October, depending on the climate zone. But in order for homemade grape wine from “Isabella” to be sufficiently aromatic and sweet, the bunches must be picked a week after technical ripeness.

Important! The harvest must be harvested before frost, otherwise it will affect the taste of the wine. It is advisable to do this in sunny weather.

For wine, it doesn’t matter what size the berries are. The main thing is that they are mature enough and not spoiled. After harvesting, you must carefully inspect all the bunches and remove spoiled, dry, unripe berries.

After harvesting, washing the crop is strictly prohibited. The natural white coating contains bacteria that act as yeast and ensure proper fermentation of the wort.

Without them, this process will be disrupted, and homemade wine from "Isabella" will lose its qualities.

Features of the technological process

If you've made wine before, you're familiar with the process. When using this variety it does not change. If you are starting production for the first time, focus on the following algorithm:

• Harvest, select quality berries.
• Squeeze out the juice. To do this, you can use a juicer or mash the berries with a regular kitchen masher. Then place the mixture in a colander or cheesecloth and squeeze the juice out of the pulp.
• Wash and dry glass bottles. Pour fermentation juice into them to about two-thirds of the volume.
• After fermentation, carefully drain the wine so that the sediment remains in the bottle where the juice fermented.
• Add sugar, stirring until it is completely dissolved (100 -150 g per liter of wine).

Homemade wine “Isabella” takes about a month to prepare. When this period expires, it can be poured into permanent containers. Such young wine usually has an alcohol content of no more than 13%.

Popular recipes for wine from Isabella grapes

Over the years of using the variety in winemaking, many recipes for making a noble drink have appeared. Some of them were passed down from generation to generation as a family tradition. But today most of these secrets are available to every winemaker, even beginners. We will share some recipes for wine from Isabella below.

Did you know? The variety is popular not only due to its aromatic and taste qualities. It is known that Isabella berries have healing and even medicinal properties. They cleanse the body of toxins, increase performance, strengthen the immune system and are used as a natural energy booster.

Recipe for high-quality fortified wine “Isabella”

The simplest recipe for Isabella wine at home is prepared as follows. According to the principle described above, must or juice is prepared from selected grapes. To get fortified wine, you need to increase the sugar content to 25%. To do this, approximately 150 g of sugar per liter is added to the raw material. The resulting mixture is left in a cool, dark place to ferment for 10 to 14 days. To make this process faster, wine yeast is added to it - 2 g per liter.

During this time, the juice will ferment, and the sediment should settle to the bottom of the bottle. Now you need to carefully pour the liquid, using a rubber tube, into a clean container so that the sediment remains in the same container. The drink is tightly closed and stored in a cool place.

Recipe for classic red wine "Isabella"

Classic wine “Isabella” is prepared according to this recipe. Take about 10 kg of berries, cleared of debris and sorted, which are placed in a dry container. There they must be thoroughly crushed and squeezed out by hand. Then the container is covered with gauze and kept at room temperature for five days. Once a day, the mixture should be stirred with a wooden spatula.

Important! The skin of the berries contains natural dyes, which give the wine a red tint. Therefore, if you want to create white wine, the pulp must be separated from the juice.

Then the glass container is prepared: cleaned, washed and dried. Approximately two-thirds of the volume of wort is transferred into it and about 3 kg of sugar is added. The mixture is thoroughly mixed, and the container is closed with a rubber glove. Several holes must be made in the glove so that carbon dioxide, which appears during the fermentation process, can escape through them. In this form, the container is left at room temperature for three weeks.

The drink is ready when the glove stops inflating. Then the resulting liquid must be carefully drained, strained and poured into clean bottles. If sediment appears during storage, the wine will have to be poured into a clean bottle again.

Recipe for holiday wine from Isabella grapes

A special wine for the holidays can be prepared as follows. Take 5 kg of selected berries and knead thoroughly in a clean container. After this, they must be left for three days for the wort to infuse. Then you need to add about 600 g of sugar, tightly close the container with a lid and leave for two weeks at room temperature. After this period, more sugar is added to the wort at the rate of 100 g per liter. Again, the container is removed for two weeks to complete fermentation.

At the end of this process, the mixture is filtered through gauze folded several times. The resulting liquid is infused in a cold and dark place for two months. Only after this can it be strained and bottled. They are also stored in a dark, dry place in a horizontal position.

Common Mistakes

If you decide to make wine at home from grapes, get ready for surprises and troubles. Even professionals cannot avoid mistakes, let alone amateur winemakers. Errors and their consequences can be different. But it is advisable to avoid fatal mistakes due to which all the wine spoils and you simply have to throw it away.

So, if you close the bottle poorly or skimp on sugar, the wine may turn out sour and unpleasant. When a drink is poorly strained, has little acid, or has been stored incorrectly, unpleasant musty notes appear in the taste. In case of a lack of acid, the situation can be corrected by adding ascorbic or citric acid - 0.2% of the total volume of liquid.

If the wine is not strong enough, it means that it has not fermented enough and there is not enough yeast in it. This can also be corrected by adding wine yeast at the preparatory stage.

As you can see, making wine from Isabella grapes is easy. The drink promises to have a thick color and a pleasant strawberry aroma. Don't be discouraged if the wine doesn't turn out the way you expected. Even professionals are not immune from mistakes. But if you don’t despair and continue to experiment, you can become a real expert in preparing this drink.

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Source: agronomu.com

Winemaking is an entire art in which all stages of preparing the drink are important. The final taste of the wine is influenced by a whole set of factors: what type of berries was used, what technology was used to prepare the drink, what other ingredients were used. It is also important to know when is the best time to harvest grapes for wine. Harvested on time in accordance with all the rules, the harvest will retain its taste, nutrients and share them with homemade alcohol.

How to preserve wild yeast?

In almost all simple recipes wine involves the use of wild yeast that lives on the surface of the grapes. Wild yeast is activated during fermentation; without it, the wort will ferment poorly or, even worse, may turn into berry vinegar. This is why grapes are not washed before use, so as not to remove the high content of natural yeast cultures along with the water.

• The grapes for wine are not harvested during rain, or for several days after. Rainwater washes away the necessary yeast from the skin of the berries. It will take some time for new yeast to appear.

On a note! If summer and early autumn have been too rainy, you should stock up on sourdough starter in case there is a shortage of natural yeast.

• Berries are not picked in the early morning and late evening, when dew is actively falling. Also, the grapes do not gather in the fog. Grapes can deteriorate during harvest storage, since putrefactive processes are activated after placing the grapes in a warm place. Just a few berries spoiled by rot will quickly spread rot to healthy neighboring fruits.
• Wild yeast appears as a whitish coating on the skin of the berries. To avoid damaging the plaque, each bunch is cut off with garden shears or pruning shears. The brush is carefully grasped by the handle so as not to damage the valuable coating.
• It is better to collect grapes not in a bucket, as most people do, but to place each bunch in a flat container.

It is best to store grapes in shallow boxes

Sweet or sour

To set the timing of the grape harvest, you need to decide what wine it will be used for.

The berries should not be too overripe, but it is also not recommended to pick unripe fruits. Great importance has an area where vines grow. Residents of countries with hot, dry climates more often drink light, weak wines with a low degree, made from table varieties. The alcohol content will depend on what grapes were used: sweet varieties produce stronger wines. The more sugar in berry juice, the higher the strength level in the wine. Since southerners do not like strong wines, they begin harvesting without waiting for full ripeness.

On a note! Bunches that have just begun to ripen, but have not yet reached full ripeness, are considered “technically” mature. “Technical” ripeness is characterized by certain indicators of sweetness and acidity of the berries.

Sweet wines are made from grapes at the peak of ripening. Residents of the middle zone prefer sweet and semi-sweet wines, which are made from ripe grapes. When to pick grapes for wine in the middle zone? It is important to harvest on time, since the berries quickly overripe, and the necessary acid is lost. If there is not enough sugar in the berries, granulated sugar is added during the process, but nothing can replace fruit acids.

How to determine when to harvest grapes? Professionals use special instruments to take measurements to determine the acidity and sweetness in berries. The following method is recommended for home winemakers. 2-3 weeks before the time when you plan to pick berries, taste the fruits collected from different vines every day. When the sweetness becomes constant, without increasing, the taste of the pulp and juice is not too pungent, and the acidity is falling, it is time to harvest.

The appearance of the berries is also an indicator of ripeness. In white varieties, the berries will become transparent and the skin will become thin. When to pick blue grapes for wine? If the color of the fruit becomes rich and the skin darkens, you can already harvest the red varieties.

When are grapes harvested in the Krasnodar region?

Krasnodar is considered a favorable place for growing various varieties of grapes. When does the Krasnodar region begin to harvest grapes for wine? Early fruits are harvested from mid-July to early August. The “Pearl of Saba” variety ripens first, and the Chasselas variety begins to be harvested by mid-August. The most active collection begins in mid-September and continues until late autumn. The last grape variety to be harvested is “Taifi Pink”.

Ambient temperature

What weather is it in to pick grapes for wine? The wort ferments at room temperature. The suitable temperature for wine fermentation is 20-22 degrees. The bunches are harvested at the same temperature. It is not recommended to harvest on a hot sunny afternoon. It is better to get to work in the morning or evening, at a comfortable temperature of 20 degrees.

Berries should be processed immediately after picking. If you make wort from warm berries, it will quickly ferment, leaving a lot of unprocessed fruit sugar. If you harvest at a low temperature, it must lie in a warm room, otherwise the must may ferment longer due to the cold wine material.

Industrial drinks made from selected ripe raw materials are considered one of the most expensive. At home, selective cutting will allow you to get a high-quality drink. At home, you can ferment wine at a convenient time, so it is recommended to choose only suitable grapes, leaving unripe berries to ripen.

Is it possible to pick grapes for wine after rain? No, the crops are not harvested immediately after the rain. It is better to wait a few days and then start collecting.

To harvest grapes you need dry weather (after rain you need to wait a few days)

How to properly cut grape bunches?

How to properly harvest grapes for wine? The bunches should be cut carefully so as not to damage the yeast coating. Each bunch is held from below so as not to crush the berries. To collect the bunches, special tools are used: garden shears, sharp pruners.

The entire bunch is cut off. If you pick individual berries, the remaining bunch may be attacked by wasps or birds. They can ruin not only a single brush, but the entire crop.

On a note! The taste of homemade wine depends on proper harvesting and storage of the harvest.

Collecting Isabella

Harvest time also depends on the specific plant variety. In the post-Soviet countries, the Isabella variety has become very popular. This variety is characterized by increased productivity, while it is not afraid of frost, resistant to many diseases and pest attacks. The variety is considered quite unpretentious; it does not require special attention, which undoubtedly attracts many gardeners. Isabella is a table grape, which is preferred not only to be consumed fresh, but also to make homemade wine from it.

When is the best time to harvest Isabella grapes to make homemade wine? Depending on the place of growth, Isabella is collected with a spread of 30-40 days. Which the right time Isabella's grape harvest intended for wine? Southerners begin collecting at the end of September, residents of the middle zone - from early to mid-October. Some gardeners leave the bunches until November so that they become full of sweet juice. But it is important to have time to harvest before the first frost.

When can Isabella grapes be cut for wine? You should know that the degree of maturation is determined not only by appearance. Winemakers know that berries can be picked when they begin to emit a characteristic berry aroma.

When to harvest technical grape varieties?

When to harvest Cabernet grapes for wine? Technical varieties, which include the famous Cabernet variety, are harvested at temperatures not lower than 16 degrees and not higher than 20 degrees. Some wines are made from berries that reached their technical maturity before the onset of frost, but were harvested after. However, it should be borne in mind that frozen green berries should not be used as wine material.

For a special wine, special grapes are used. Icewine is an “ice wine” made from fruits that were picked after frost. Winemakers take a big risk by leaving brushes on the vines. Frosts must come sharply; only under this condition can the berries be used to make Icewine. As a rule, in our climate there is a long off-season, during which the crop may die.

If winemakers have obtained the necessary raw materials for Icewine, they will receive a unique alcoholic product that is valued all over the world for its originality and uniqueness.

Grapes for Icewine wine are harvested after frost

Lydia grape harvest

Many gardeners grow Lydia grapes. The wine it produces is aromatic, tasty, with original strawberry notes. With its original taste, the “Lydia” grape compares favorably with other varieties. The main advantage of “Lydia” is considered to be the ripening time – about 160 days.

When to harvest Lydia grapes for wine? Most often it gathers in mid-October. It is in mid-autumn that the berries are filled with juice with the desired acidity and sugar content. The fruits are not picked early in the morning when dew falls. How many days after the rain can you harvest grapes for wine? You should wait at least 2-3 days, and only then start collecting. Immediately before harvesting, all work on the ground stops so as not to stain the bunches. After all, it is known that fruits are not washed before making wine.

Consequences of early collection

When should you harvest grapes for homemade wine? Gardeners often make a common mistake and harvest their crops earlier than necessary. With experience, they learn from their mistakes, but every beginning winegrower needs to know the consequences of picking berries early.

Everyone knows that early harvesting contributes to the loss of a large number of grapes. Berries picked ahead of schedule, have practically no shelf life and begin to deteriorate immediately. You should not hope that unripe grapes will ripen when harvested. In addition, premature harvesting negatively affects the condition of the entire vine, which will subsequently ripen much worse.

Many people start harvesting earlier because appearance berries indicates that they will not have time to ripen before the first frost. In this case, you should proceed as follows:

1. Remove all leaves that cover the bunches from sunlight.
2. Stop watering for a while.
3. Do not add fertilizers or top dressing.

All of the above methods should help speed up the maturation process of the hands.

Grape harvesting is a responsible and serious undertaking. The further quality of the wine depends on how the harvest is harvested, so the collection of bunches should be taken seriously. Premature or, conversely, early harvesting can ruin most of the harvest. Grapes must be harvested very carefully, carefully, taking into account climatic and weather conditions. Only in this case, from the harvested harvest, you can make high-quality and tasty wine at home.

Isabella is a dark grape variety that was first bred in the USA by crossing two hybrids, cultivated Labrusca and Vinifera. Refers to large-fruited varieties; in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus it is used mainly for home winemaking, but in the USA and Europe in last years decided to ban its cultivation for the purpose of making wine, since the finished wine has a distinct “rotten” wine smell. There are many photos of this variety on the Internet: it looks very presentable.

In the post-Soviet space, homemade wine is still prepared from the Isabella variety. large quantities, exclusively for personal use and not for sale. This grape belongs to large-fruited varieties, bears fruit well and is quite unpretentious in care. It grows in central Russia, in the Moscow region, and in the Caucasus. It looks beautiful and impressive both during the growth process and after the fruit ripens. The taste characteristics are high. Sometimes gardeners propagate it by grafting it onto other varieties, for example, pink grapes. This results in a variety with a richer taste, ideal for eating.

Characteristics of Isabella grapes

The berries of the Isabella grape are large, dark, almost black, the skin is dense, sour, with a light white coating. 100 grams of such berries contain 56 calories, this is a small calorie content, so they can also be consumed by those who are on a diet. The sugar content in the fruits is moderate; we can say that the variety is medium-sweet. The amount of carbohydrates per 100 grams of product is 16.8 grams. They are easily absorbed by the body, and in addition to sugar they contain a large number of fiber, pectin, fruit acids, vitamin C and E - everything the body needs for healthy well-being. The taste of berries has a pronounced sharp aroma, slightly astringent.

• Benefits of berries: high content of fruit acids and sugars, vitamin C, anti-cancer effect, antioxidant.
• Harmful berries: in large quantities they can cause allergies and stomach upset; not recommended for children under 3 years of age.

Ripening period, yield

The ripening period for Isabella grapes is autumn. It belongs to late autumn varieties, is characterized by high productivity, this species does not need to be covered in winter, it tolerates frosts or severe frosts well. Ripening time: late September or early October. The young berry changes color from light green to dark blue with a bloom. The fruits are the same size, large, the weight of one berry is from 3 to 6 grams.

Of course, gardeners are interested in the question: how many Isabella grapes can be harvested from one bush? On average, up to 10 kg of berries can be harvested from one vine. Fruit harvest: October.

Reproduction of Isabella grapes: cuttings, rooting, seedlings, planting

The process of propagating grapes seems complicated at first glance, but for gardeners with experience it is quite simple. First of all, in order to propagate grapes, you need to cut off the cuttings from them, root them in the soil yourself during the winter, and plant them in the spring! The second, less labor-intensive way is to buy a ready-made seedling.

Let's look at how to properly plant cuttings of Isabella grapes yourself. Usually a shoot of fruiting grapes is taken as a cutting. So, when all the leaves have already fallen from the bush (for example, at the end of November), you can start cutting cuttings. The branches are chosen straight, with one or two buds. Cut cuttings approximately 20 cm long with pruning shears, collect all the branches into a bunch and place them for storage in a cold place. Ideally - in the refrigerator, cold cellar or basement.

For the base, you can take two plastic bottles with the top edge cut off and place the cuttings there for the whole winter. In early spring, early March, planting material is selected. A living cutting is one that releases moisture when cut and is colored with green color. All brown or dried cuttings are not suitable for planting.

At the beginning of March, the cuttings are placed in water for three days, when they fully come to life, they are removed from the water, placed in a ready-made solution to stimulate growth for a day (the mixture for its preparation is sold in garden stores), and then planted in a plastic container, again, A cut bottle will do. Holes are made at the bottom of the bottle to remove moisture, a thin layer of drainage is placed, and soil is placed on top and the cutting is planted in this soil. The top of the handle should approximately coincide in height with the end of the bottle. Now we just have to wait for the branch to take root and give its first leaves. As soon as leaves appear on it, the seedling is ready to be grown in the ground.

Remember that planting is carried out at your choice, in spring or autumn.

Site selection, watering

An open sunny area with good airflow is ideal for growing Isabella grapes. Avoid lowlands and ravines. For planting, seedlings are taken at the age of 1 year. The soil should be calcareous. If it is acidic, liming is carried out by adding limestone dolomite flour to the area where the grapes will grow. Dosage from 0.3 to 0.5 kg. fertilizers per 1 sq. m.

The planting hole for Isabella's seedling should be the following dimensions: diameter 80 cm, depth up to 90 cm. Drainage, for example, crushed limestone, is placed at the bottom, and then the cuttings are rooted. Be sure to place a support peg to tie up the growing grapes. The distance between seedlings is 1.5 m, the distance from the wall of the house or fence is 1 m. After planting, the soil is well compacted and watered abundantly. Sprinkle peat on top. Watering frequency depends on the weather, but at least once a week during dry summers.

Feeding, pruning, protection from pests and diseases

Isabella grapes are fertilized the next year after planting in the ground. The seedling must overwinter, and in the spring the root shoots are pruned. The first pruning of the branches is done only when the length of the side shoots is 15 cm. The number of shoots on a seedling should not be less than 4, on a cutting - less than 2.

Autumn pruning is carried out only after the leaves have completely fallen. If the shoot is annual, there should be up to 6 buds on it, if it is perennial - 1.1 buds per 1 mm of cut diameter of the shoot. To protect grapes from pests and diseases, drugs such as Aliot, Agrokiller + Magnum, Biotlin and others are used. All of them are diluted in water according to the instructions. Isabella grapes also need to be fed regularly, but not more than three times a year. Best time: spring before budding and autumn after harvest. For feeding, they use ready-made products that can be bought at any agricultural store.

Features of care throughout the year

Summer care consists of removing weeds around the bush, watering, and mulching. In summer, on average, at least 10 liters of water must be poured under each bush every 7 days. In spring and autumn, pruning and treatment against pests and diseases are carried out, and in winter Isabella rests on the site. The plant is not wrapped up for the winter; it tolerates cold well.

Video review of the Isabella variety

Description of the Isabella variety in the video from gardeners:

Video on how to make wine from Isabella grapes (with comments and reviews):