Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) CĪRAVAS AGRĀ

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) 'Cīravas agrā'

An extremely early and resilient Latvian variety with an award-winning muscat flavor and almost unnoticeable seeds.

The 'Cīravas agrā' variety (meaning Early from Cīrava) is a masterpiece of Nordic grapevine breeding. Created for regions with short summers and a lack of heat, it astounds tasters across Europe with its phenomenal, harmonious muscat flavor. It is an ideal all-purpose table grape for home gardeners—it requires minimal chemical protection, ripens rapidly, and eating its sweet, thin-skinned berries is a true gourmet experience.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Extremely early ripening: Needs only 90 - 105 days to ripen and a very low sum of active temperatures.
• Top-tier taste: Harmonious muscat aroma (in Latvia in 2014, it took 1st, 14th, and 32nd place out of 240 samples!).
• Pleasant to eat: Thin skin and only 1 to 3 tiny seeds that are barely noticeable when eating.
• High disease resistance: Thanks to Amur grape genes, it is excellent for organic, chemical-free cultivation.
• Self-fertile with excellent wood ripening.

Origin and Registration

• Origin: Latvia. Breeder: Gunvaldis Vēsmiņš.
• Crossing: A highly complex interspecific hybrid combining genes of European and Amur vines (V. vinifera x V. amurensis). Pedigree: (S90 x Rannij VIRa) x (S5-6-3 x Pearl of Csaba).

Variety Characteristics

Vine / Shrub

• Vigor: In the first years after planting, growth is slower (requiring patience while establishing the vine), later transitioning to medium vigor.
• Leaves and Wood: Medium-sized, less lobed leaves. A huge advantage is that the one-year-old shoots (canes) ripen very well and early. Cuttings root excellently.
• Pollination: The flowers are hermaphroditic, making the variety fully self-fertile.

Bunches and Berries

• Bunches: Medium-sized (weight 200 - 350 g), cylindrical or cylindrical-conical, and moderately dense.
• Berries: Medium-sized (diameter 22 - 24 mm, weight 4 - 5 g), round in shape with a nice light, yellow-white to amber color.
• Taste and Texture: The flesh is meaty and juicy. The skin is very thin, and the tiny seeds are practically imperceptible when eaten. The taste features a delicious, highly rated muscat aroma.
• Composition: High sugar content (18 - 21%) combined with an optimal, refreshing acidity of 5 - 7.5 g/l.

Resistance and Requirements

• Diseases: Features high resistance to fungal diseases (resistance to downy mildew is rated at 2.5 - 3 points). In many cases, it can be grown completely without chemical protection.
• Frost: Withstands frosts down to -23 to -24 °C (-10 to -11 °F). Note: In colder northern regions (or where there is a risk of severe black frosts), it is recommended to cover young vines for the winter.
• Heat Requirements: Requires a very low Active Temperature Sum (only 1900 – 1950 °C), predestining it for successful cultivation in cooler regions with shorter summers.

Cultivation and Pruning Recommendations

• Load and Pruning: A total load of 45 - 65 buds per vine is recommended. Pruning of fruiting canes should be medium to long, leaving 7 to 10 buds. The fruitfulness of the wood is excellent (60 - 75%).

Harvest and Use

• Harvest Time: Extremely early variety. The period from bud break to full maturity takes only 90 - 105 days.
• Use: A universal variety, primarily intended as a premium table grape for fresh consumption.