Hybrid red grape Pinotage

Pinotage is a hybrid grape native to South Africa, used to produce red and rosé wines. The grape is considered a gastronomic symbol in its homeland; small quantities are grown in Canada, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and the USA. Pinotage wines are characterized by a complex aromatic and flavor bouquet. Tasters detect notes of prunes, chocolate, cocoa, fruit, black and red berries, pine, oak and coffee.

Description and history of the creation of the hybrid

Pinotage is not a variety, but a hybrid grape obtained by crossing Cinsault and Pinot Noir in 1925. Authorship belongs to Professor Abraham Perold. The author dealt with the term simply: he put the names of the varieties together - Pinot and Hermitage (that’s what the Cinsault variety was called in South Africa).

Abraham Perold set himself the goal of creating a hybrid with the exquisite taste of Burgundy Pinot Noir and the yield of Cinsault. However, the result was far from expected: the berries had dark skin, the wine from them was thick, with a high content of tannins.

Abraham Perold assumed that the combination of aristocratic Pinot Noir and cheerful Cinsault would give a noble and unpretentious wine. However, for almost half a century, instead of sophistication and simplicity, Pinotage showed itself to be more capricious than Cinsault and more primitive than Pinot Noir.

The professor planted the first vines of experimental grapes in his own garden and, disappointed, abandoned them. A few years later, another researcher became interested in the hybrid and grafted the vine on roots resistant to fungal diseases. In 1943 he received his first harvest. The vine looked strong and healthy, the fruits ripened early and had a high sugar content.

Until 1980, South Africa's national wine associations focused on grape productivity at the expense of quality. Wines from high-yield Pinotage had an unsightly taste and aroma, which negatively affected its popularity.

In the 60s XX century Against the backdrop of the first success, South Africa was gripped by “pinotage fever.” The hybrid began to be planted en masse in all vineyards, which led to overproduction. This was facilitated by earlier ripening, rapid growth of the vine, a high level of sugar content in the berries, and the possibility of obtaining wines with a dense color. The winemakers' joy was overshadowed by acetone notes, which interrupted the taste of the young drink, and the taste of rusty iron after fermentation at low temperatures.

Winemakers suffered so much with the hybrid that they stopped trying to achieve a more or less tolerable result from it. Only a few companies did not stop experiments to create a quality drink. As a result, the vineyard area was reduced to 2%, and Pinotage was on the verge of extinction.

In the 90s trends in winemaking have shifted the focus towards quality. In 1995, the Pinotage Association was formed. It included manufacturers who joined forces to develop and popularize the hybrid. Light table wines and rich tannic wines with aging potential began to be prepared from Pinotage.

In Stellenbosch, the hybrid is mixed with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz varieties to produce high-quality wine blends with wonderful taste.

Pinotage vineyards are concentrated mainly in South Africa. Outside the country, the hybrid is less common.Small plantations are located in New Zealand (Hawke's Bay and Auckland), Zimbabwe, Israel and California.

Significant dates for the formation of the hybrid:

• 1925 - the year of Pinotage's appearance;
• 1941 - the year the first wine was created in Elsenburg;
• 1959 - victory at the main wine exhibition of South Africa;
• 1961 - year of production of the first commercial wine Lanzerac Pinotage;
• 1991 - first gold medal at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London.

The hybrid owes its revival to Beyers Truter, the founder of the Kanonkop company. He sensed extraordinary potential in Pinotage and saw it as the future of South Africa. In 1999, the first international tasting of Pinotage wine took place. In the blind tasting, wine from New Zealand won, drinks from South Africa took second and third places.

Reference. In South Africa, the hybrid is cultivated in the area of ​​Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Here is the most favorable terrain with a variety of soils, the proximity of two oceans, mountains and a suitable climate.

Characteristics of the hybrid Pinotage

Pinotage is a technical red hybrid of medium-ripening grapes, widely used in South Africa, Canada, Brazil, USA, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and Australia.

The vine is characterized by medium growth vigor. The shoots are straight, ripen fully, and produce an average number of shoots. The crown of the young shoot is green, with a bronze border.

The leaf blade is medium-sized, five-lobed, strongly dissected. The petiole notch is lyre-shaped. The back side of the leaf is covered with a weak edge, mainly along the veins.

The flowers are bisexual and do not require additional pollination.

The clusters are medium sized, loose or medium dense. The shape is cylindrical or cylindrical-conical.

The berries are small or medium, oval. The skin is thick, dark blue, with a strong waxy coating. The pulp is juicy, juice colorless.

The hybrid is characterized by increased resistance to fungal diseases, but in unfavorable years it suffers from mildew.

Frost resistance is average. The bushes can withstand temperatures down to -19…-20°C. In areas of covered viticulture, the crop needs shelter.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• resistance to fungal diseases;
• high productivity;
• rich palette taste and aroma;
• resistance to frost and drought;
• ease of care.

Flaws:

• the appearance of acetone and acrylic paint aftertaste as a result of fermentation at low temperatures;
• susceptibility to viral infections.

Wine from Pinotage

Since African lands are little developed, the chance of creating a real “gold mine” of winemaking in this territory increases. Pinotage has gained fame as the main gastronomic symbol of South Africa, along with diamonds. Vineyards occupy only 1% of the world's plantings, but the country ranks 8th in wine production.

Interesting! Above the entrance to the Kanonkop tasting room there is an inscription: “Pinotage is the juice of women’s kisses and lion’s hearts. By drinking it you will gain an immortal soul.”

In addition to the Kanonkop winery, the following companies produce wines from Pinotage: Simonsig, Fairview, L'Avenir, Backsberg, Kaapzicht, Jordan, Graham Beck, Spice Root and Stellenzicht "(record holder for gold medals). Simonsig employs innovators. They own the championship of South African champagne, so they boldly take on Pinotage.

When working correctly with a hybrid, it is possible to obtain diverse wines.Young Pinotage surprises with its refreshing, sour, fruity and berry taste and aroma, and is reminiscent of Beaujolais Nouveau. Aged Pinotage has a deep, velvety, tannic taste with notes of dark chocolate and spices, reminiscent of Rhone Valley wines. Pinotage is also used to create sparkling and rosé wines.

Pinotage wine has a high potential for aging in oak barrels. A good wine has a bright and recognizable bouquet. Oenologist Michel Rolland called Pinotage a “fruit bomb.” This expression perfectly reflects the essence of wine. Its aroma captures clear notes of black berries, which gracefully mix with tones of banana and spice.

The color of the drink varies from pale red to violet-red. It smells of tanned leather and blackberry, smoke and oak. The taste reveals notes of raisins soaked in spiced port, chocolate and apple marshmallow against a backdrop of fresh fruit. The aroma reveals notes of violets, pine needles, and cinnamon.

Reference. The grapes are characterized by high acidity and pronounced fruitiness. Despite early ripening, the subtle presence of “noble rot” can spoil the wine, giving it a smell of burnt earth and burning.

Some tasters detect strong acetone and musk tones in the wine, which are replaced by banana or red berries and banana. The taste of the drink is fresh, with notes of prunes, berries and chocolate. Tannins are clearly audible, and the aftertaste is alcoholic, long, more reminiscent of cognac. Other experts detect notes of raw sausage, caramel and blackberry combined with the sweet taste of burnt sugar.

In their homeland, Pinotage wines are combined with a variety of dishes: dried antelope meat, Dutch pork sausages, lamb, Indian spicy rice, curry, ostrich steaks, kumquat jam, marula, rambutan. Pinotage is served at the end of the meal as a digestif.

Planting seedlings

Pinotage is planted following general rules. The hybrid is unpretentious to the composition of the soil and is able to adapt to any conditions. Landing performed in April. The area is pre-plowed and holes measuring 80x80 cm are formed every 1.5 m. Drainage is placed at the bottom - crushed stone or broken brick. A layer of fertile soil is poured on top. A pipe is driven into the hole for watering young seedlings, a layer of soil is added so that 50 cm remains to the edges, and watered abundantly.

After the water is completely absorbed, the seedling is planted, straightening the root system. Next, the hole is filled to the brim with soil and watered again. Young plants are watered every other day and the soil is loosened.

Subtleties of further care

Rules for caring for a hybrid:

1. Pinotage needs regular but moderate watering. During dry periods, the frequency of watering is increased. To facilitate maintenance, a drip system is installed on the site, and sprinkling is often practiced.
2. The soil is mulched with hay, sawdust, and dry grass to retain moisture.
3. Organic matter and minerals are used as fertilizing. Before flowering, the grapes are fertilized with a solution of bird droppings in a ratio of 1:15. During the flowering period, the bushes are fed with a mixture of 100 g of urea, 60 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water.
4. The grapes can withstand frosts down to -20°C. Needs protection for the winter when grown in a covered viticulture zone.For this, agrofibre or thick polyethylene film is used.

Trimming

When growing Pinotage uses a system of vine management called "marozhe", characteristic of the south of France. The bush is freed from weak shoots, removing them at the base. From the remaining shoots, strong and healthy ones are selected, without paying attention to their location, and cut into long strands.

On a trellis in 4 tiers, 4 vines are formed and placed on the two lower tiers. Green shoots are tied to the top two tiers. Fruit vines are braided around the wire and their ends are fixed, making sure that the vines of two adjacent bushes touch. After gartering, the remaining shoots trimmed.

Benefits of pruning:

• a large number of eyes and shoots on the bush;
• absence of replacement knots and long-term bends and sleeves;
• fruiting exclusively on strong shoots;
• the ability to quickly rejuvenate bushes.

Flaws:

• labor intensity of pruning;
• haphazard infliction of damage;
• the possibility of using the technique exclusively on high-yielding varieties.

Disease and pest control

Pinotage is a hardy hybrid, but is susceptible to some viral infections. To prevent infection, it is recommended to remove weeds, mulch the soil and avoid waterlogging. There is no treatment for grape viral infections.

The most dangerous pest of grapes is considered to be phylloxera, which lives on the rhizome. The second common name for the pest is grape aphid. It is characterized by lightning-fast spread and leads to the death of bushes. The main sign of infection is growths on the roots.To destroy it, insecticides “Cypermethrin”, “Deltamethrin”, “Metaphos”, “Aktara”, “Insektor” and biological products “Bitoxibacillin”, “Fitoverm”, “Borey Neo” are used.

Harvest and storage

The bunches are trimmed with a sharp instrument in dry weather and immediately sent for processing. Technical grape varieties are not stored for a long time; they are used primarily for making wine.

Conclusion

Pinotage is a hybrid of technical red grapes with an amazing history of development. Many winemakers gave up, not knowing what to do with it and how to achieve results. Often the wine showed notes of nail polish or acrylic paint instead of the expected fruity tones. Through trial and error, we found out that the taste and aroma of the drink depends on the fermentation temperature. Oenologist Michel Rolland called Pinotage a “fruit bomb” and identified its main flavor characteristics: notes of black berries and dried fruit, echoing the tones of banana and spices.

The culture is characterized by strong immunity, but is susceptible to viral infections if agricultural practices are violated. The grapes are unpretentious in care and can adapt to any type of soil, but they show the best results when grown in South Africa.