Merlot grapes

Among the technical varieties, Merlot remains one of the most popular - it consistently holds the second place in terms of area in the world percentage. The variety is cultivated in many countries with suitable climates, intended for wine production.

Merlot appeared in France, Bordeaux is considered its small homeland, where many vineyards have long been located in a unique climate on the most beautiful slopes and plains. There was no documentary evidence of its breeding, so genetic studies were carried out. With their help, it was found out that the parent varieties were Cabernet Franc and Magdalene Noir de Charan. Merlot has many synonyms:

• Alicante;

• Alicante Noir;

• Black Alicante;

• Beanie and Beanie Rouge;

• Bidal and Bordelese;

• Vidal, Vitral and Sud de Grave Vidal;

• Ojaleshi Lechkhum, Ojaleshi, Picard, Medok Plan.

The story of his parents is also not easy - if everything was clear with his father's Cabernet Franc, the situation with the mother's is much more interesting. The discovery of the Magdalene Noir de Charan variety, according to official data, took place at the end of the 20th century, or rather, it happened in 1992. However, the inhabitants of northern Brittany cultivated Magdeleine noire des Charentes long before it became known to the science of viticulture and winemaking. It was they who named him Magdalena in honor of the saint, on the day of whose celebration, on July 22, he was ripening.

Merlot grows in countries with a suitable climate: USA, Spain, France, Montenegro, Croatia, Moldova, Ukraine.

As for Russia, the variety is zoned for most regions, but the best conditions for it are in the Krasnodar Territory. It was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2002.

Merlot is a high-yielding technical variety intended for winemaking. The bushes are medium-sized, annual shoots are colored in light brown tones, the adult vine has a darker color. The vine is covered with a rounded medium-dissected dark green five-lobed foliage. The reverse side of the leaf has a slight pubescence in the form of a cobweb. The fruitfulness of the shoots is 52.8%, the fruiting factor is 1.7.

Merlot grapes are late varieties, 3300 are the SAT it needs. It will take him 152 days to reach technical ripeness for table wines, and 164 days for dessert wines.

The weight of medium-sized medium-dense cylindrical-conical brushes is 113-150 grams, the shape can be either regular or with a lateral wing (branch). Peeling is almost not observed.

Black, rounded fruits, covered with a dense bloom of prune, with 2-3 seeds and sizes 13-14 by 12-13 mm, weigh from 1 to 1.4 grams. Juicy pulp with colorless juice is covered with a thin, but very dense skin.

Merlot has a harmonious and rich taste with notes of currants and cherries, blueberries and plums, caramel and chocolate, herbs and black pepper. As a result of many years of aging in oak barrels, the palette is enriched with coffee and truffle shades. In addition, the soil has a direct influence on the taste - on sandy ones it is softer, on limestone ones it is more pronounced, with a bright aroma.

The variety is characterized by a high yield when it comes to the traditional climatic zones for Merlot - from 47 to 57 kg / ha.Since gardeners have learned to grow thermophilic varieties even in regions with a very temperate climate, the yields there are much lower, and everything depends on the conditions created.

Even a beginner grower can grow a variety and get a harvest from it, since the variety is unpretentious and does not differ in particular exactingness.

In warm areas, seedlings are planted in spring and autumn. In colder climates, it is not worth the risk - an autumn planting can lead to the death of the plant. The variety prefers loam with an admixture of river sand, which provides air permeability; sometimes fine gravel is added to the soil mixture for the same purpose. Experienced growers place the plants in a container with warm water a day before planting.

1. Pits 80x80x80 cm in size are prepared 10-14 days before disembarkation. Support stakes are installed.

2. A drainage layer is poured at the bottom, then a couple of buckets of a mixture of humus and fertile soil.

3. The bush is placed in the center of the fossa. The roots are gently straightened, while the root collar should be at the level of the edge.

4. The soil is poured, watered abundantly, the trunk circle is mulched with peat, sawdust, moss, grass.

The distance between the bushes is 1.5 meters, between the rows is 2 m.

Merlot has bisexual flowers, so there is no need for additional pollination measures.

Gardeners use 2 types of pruning: formative and sanitary. The first is carried out in the fall - old shoots are removed, thus stimulating the growth and fruiting of new ones. In the spring, sanitary pruning is carried out, ridding the bushes of damaged and diseased branches. For Merlot, medium or short bush formation is preferable, the indicator of the number of brushes on the shoot is 1.2.

The variety tolerates drought well, and its wide distribution and growth in almost all climatic zones do not allow us to offer an accurate irrigation scheme. It all depends on the area. On average, this is up to 6 buckets for each bush 3-4 times during the growing season.

When planting, the soil must be fully enriched with all the necessary nutrients, therefore, in the first 3 years, the bush does not need feeding. Then they are held three times a season:

• 14 days before flowering, urea, ammonium nitrate, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied;

• when the Merlot berries are green and hard, they repeat the spring feeding, while halving the volume of nitrogen fertilizers;

• the last operation is carried out in the fall, after harvesting - wood ash and ammonium sulfate are introduced into the soil.

By spraying, the grapes are fed three times - in the spring a week before flowering and after. The third spraying is carried out one month before harvest.

Merlot possesses good frost resistance, it is able to withstand sub-zero temperatures up to 22º C. In hot climates, the variety hibernates in the open state - it is enough for it to simply huddle the roots. In cold regions it needs protection. Shoots are removed from the support, bent to the ground, covered with spruce branches, reed mats, straw. A film or burlap is laid on top and sprinkled with earth. It should be remembered that overheating for Merlot is just as dangerous as freezing. Where winters are mild and warm, the semi-shelter method is used. The shoots are placed on pallets or spruce branches, covered with agrotechnical cloth, the roots are insulated by hilling.

The variety resists mildew and fruit rot well, but is almost defenseless against powdery mildew. For prevention purposes, treatment with fungicides or copper sulfate is necessary.

Due to the peculiarities inherent in the variety - a low proportion of tannins, medium density - Merlot cannot be stored for a long time. In special rooms or refrigerators, it can withstand no more than 3-4 weeks.

All gardeners are satisfied with the quality and quantity of their Merlot wine. As one of the gardeners wrote, from 2-3 buckets of berries he gets up to 15 liters of excellent wine with an excellent bouquet. Vine growers are pleased with the stability of the vine in relation to the harvest. With some regret, they note a weak resistance to oidium, but everyone understands that there are no cultivars that absolutely do not need human help.