Vitis 'BIANCA'

This grape vine is one of the best I ever had the pleasure of growing in our conditions. Very sweet and tasty with a Muscat aroma. It is relatively new but already a proven favourite in Europe.

Bianca is good for wine as well as a table wine. The colour of grapes is light green turning to golden yellow when fully mature. The globules are mid-sized, with small seeds. It gives away all the sunshine it gathered in summer when picked in late September. This variety is not suitable for green-house cultivation.

Grape vine has to be pruned every year in warmer days of January or at the end of winter after the danger of the worst frosts. Cut back side branches to 2-3 buds – 2-years-old wood bears fruit. Treat it against mite before buds open. When it sets fruit cut off the new shoots a few centimeters above the grape and do not let it grow again. From midsummer you can start removing leaves from above the grapes to allow direct sunlight. Get some wasp-trap as they could ruin your fruit and may get dangerous.

Grow grape vine in sunny and airy (not windy) locations. It is not suitable for damp sites and shady pergolas where it can easily be affected by diseases. Provide a good support. The best results are on slopes – because of the angle of sun rays. The soil has to be permeable, humus-rich and deep. Extra watering is desired by end spring and later only if the summer is dry, and always directly in the soil, never water the whole plant. In autumn remove fallen leaves from under the plants as they might contain diseases and mites. Fertilizing is good if adequate, otherwise the plant will grow wild and set too much fruit of inferior quality. Very hardy to min. -27°C.

Last update 10-10-2008; 09-02-2017