Vitis vinifera Picurka

The 'Picurka' Table Grape is a variety of white grape. Appreciated for its balanced taste between sweetness and acidity, it is one of the earliest grapes to ripen. Harvesting begins in late August and no later than early September. This vine produces medium-sized clusters, more or less compact, with a long and strong stem, weighing 400 to 500 grams each. They are composed of medium-sized berries, with few or no seeds, and light green to yellow-green in colour when fully ripe. The flesh of the fruit is crisp and juicy, with a balanced flavuor, with few or no seeds. Refreshing, grapes can be consumed fresh at ripeness or transformed into fruit juice, jam, jelly, pastry, fruit salad. 'Picurka' grapes can also be used to make wine. This variety is highly resistant to powdery mildew. In autumn, its leaves turn warm red.

The wine grape, in Latin Vitis vinifera, belongs to the Vitaceae family, just like the Virginia creeper. It has been cultivated for thousands of years in North Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Europe. Between 1000 and 500 BC, it was introduced by the Romans to Italy, Sicily, Spain, Portugal, and southern France. During this ancient period, wines were mixed with water and flavoured with herbs and spices. It is from the Middle Ages that we find wine as we know it today. In the 17th century, wine production shifted towards the search for higher quality wines, but at the end of the 19th century, phylloxera destroyed a large part of the French vineyards, and it is in the 20th century that the science of winemaking, oenology, emerged. This species is cultivated for its cluster fruits called "grapes," which are consumed fresh as table grapes, fermented as wine, or dried as raisins.

The 'Picurka' variety was obtained in 1970 in Slovakia. It is a cross between 'Chaouch Rosovyi' and 'Delight'. It forms a plant with long, woody and climbing branches, called canes when they are old and lignified, reaching a height of 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 feet). The young branches bear the leaves, fruits, and tendrils that allow the vine to wrap around a support. Its root system can reach a depth of up to 5 metres (16 feet) in the soil, thus ensuring good drought resistance for the vine. Very aesthetic, the branches are supported by a trunk with a twisted bark that peels off in strips with age. With remarkable longevity, the vine can live for several centuries. Its deciduous foliage consists of large leaves measuring 8 to 16 cm (3 to 6in) in width, alternate, with 5 or 7 lobes, toothed on the edge, attached to the branches by a long petiole. They change from tender green at budburst to intense green during the season, and then turn warm red in autumn, offering a very colourful spectacle. The very discreet flowering occurs in May-June. Opposite the leaves, it appears in the form of a cluster 10 to 12 cm (4 to 5in) long, composed of small insignificant flowers, yellow-green in colour, with 5 protruding stamens. As a self-fertile variety, the hermaphroditic flowers self-pollinate. To form the cluster, the fleshy and globular berries are attached to the stem by small pedicels. The flower buds freeze at temperatures below -2°C (28.4°F), but the late flowering of this variety is hardly affected by spring frosts. This hardy plant can tolerate temperatures around -20°C (-4°F), but dislikes summer humidity, which promotes the appearance of spots on leaves and fruits (powdery mildew, leaf and cluster mildew). This variety can be grown throughout central Europe in sunny and warm locations, in well-drained, deep, even poor, dry, and calcareous soil.

The 'Picurka' table grape is a productive and vigorous variety. To give the fruits a beautiful colour, light leaf removal can be practiced. The harvest, uniform and abundant, takes place from late August to late September, depending on the region and climate. It is important to only pick the fruits when they are ripe, as they will not ripen any further, and to gently pick the cluster with its stem, using secateurs. One vine can produce a quantity of 20 to 30 kg per year, depending on vine management. Grapes can only be stored for a few days in a cool place or in the refrigerator.

Seedless, firm, juicy, and sweet, this table grape is delicious to eat raw. It is also an ideal fruit for making jam, jelly, and fruit juice; for making clafoutis, cakes, custards, or cakes; for making fruit salads with other fruits; or for accompanying savoury dishes based on poultry. It pairs wonderfully with cheese, endives, walnuts, and cured ham. Rich in carbohydrates (glucose and fructose) from 16 to 18 g per 100 g, grapes are a calorie-rich fruit (approx. 80 Cal / 100 g). Its content of vitamins B (B2, B6) and C, phenolic antioxidants, dietary fibre, as well as manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron content, make grapes a health asset. It is a healthy, natural, and tasty fruit.

In addition to its fruit-bearing capabilities, the 'Picurka' table grape can highlight its ornamental qualities when trained on a arbor, pergola, or wall. To offer a tasting of table grapes from August to October, it can be interesting to associate it with other earlier varieties, such as for example: 'Chasselat dorée','Chasselat rose', 'Roi des précoces', 'Centennial Seedless', 'Perlette', 'Madeleine Royal', or later varieties: 'Alphonse Lavallée', 'Centennial Seedless', 'Exalta', 'Muscat d'Alexandrie', 'Muscat de Hambourg', 'Sultanica bianca'. But in any case, among a wide range of vines, it is easy to find the one that best suits your desires.

For a more urban use, it is entirely possible to grow a vine in a pot on a balcony or terrace, trained in a warm position and well pruned. In this configuration, the vine will be very ornamental.