They started to harvest the grapes in Mecsekalja

By: STA Date: 2024. 07. 19. 11:00

One month earlier than usual – with the picking of the new, resistant varieties, the Jazmin variety – the harvest began on the almost forty-hectare vineyard of the University of Pécs Viticulture and Wine Research Institute (PTE SZBKI), the higher education institution told MTI on Thursday.

(Photo: Pixabay)

In the press release of the institute, which is also the second largest grape gene bank in Europe and the sixth largest in the world, it was written: thanks to the weather, this year certain varieties may be harvested up to three weeks earlier in the Pécs area, and looking back on many years, this year is the earliest the harvest starts in the southern slopes of Mecsek. It was announced: this vintage could be favorable in terms of rainfall and temperature conditions, since after the mild winter, the majority of the grape varieties started budding earlier than average, and then a very fast, almost explosive development took place on the vines. Thanks to this, flowering, fruiting and ripening were early, compared to previous years, they said.

They explained that in this year’s year with favorable rainfall, as in previous years, the research institute’s resistant grape varieties tested well this year

Compared to the traditional vitis vinifera varieties, the new, innovative varieties could safely protect the grape clusters with 2-3 plant protection rounds. In the case of early varieties, such as Jazmin, the acidity is adequate and the fragrance and flavor are well balanced. According to the measurements, these properties are combined with an alcohol content of 10.5 percent, on the basis of which a pleasantly fresh, rich, perfumed, unique character, yet light, summer wine can be made. After the processing of the grape crop, the final product goes to the 1,600-square-meter cellar with a capacity of 4,800 hectoliters of the institute, which has been in existence since 1949 and has 39 hectares of vineyards, they said.

MTI