VARIETAL STUDY OF GEORGIAN NATIVE GRAPEVINE VARIETIES IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE LOWER DON REGION
The research was carried out in 2016-2019 at the Don ampelographic collection named after Ya.I. Potapenko (Novocherkassk, Rostov region). The subject of the study is eight native Georgian grapevine varieties: Adreuli shavi, Amlakhu, Vernakhi, Goruli mtsvane, Grdzelmtevana, Grubela, Mujuretuli, Nakutvneuli. Control varieties were Sibirkovyi and Krasnostop Zolotovskiy - the Don native varieties. It was found that the studied varieties had high rates of bud break (70-80.3 %). The average cluster weight varied from 74 g (Mujuretuli) to 459 g (Adreuli shavi). Most of the studied varieties had a high average cluster weight (Adreuli shavi - 459 g, Grubela - 428 g). The estimated yield capacity was shown: more than 17 t/ha had Adreuli shavi and Nakutvneuli varieties, high yield capacity (12-17 t/ha) - Goruli mtsvane, average yield capacity (from 9 to 12 t/ha) - Grubela, Grdzelmtevana, Amlakhu, Vernakhi and two control varieties. Mujuretuli variety had low yield capacity - (3.6 t/ha). Characteristics of grape yield were following: very high sugar content of berry juice (over 23 g/100 cm3) in Krasnostop Zolotovskiy and Grdzelmtevana varieties; high sugar content (21-23 g/100 cm3) - in Amlakhu, Mujuretuli, Goruli mtsvane, Sibirkovyi varieties. All studied varieties have passed the technological assessment, dry table wines (white or red) were prepared. Wines from the control varieties received high tasting marks of 8.8-8.9 points (on a 10-point scale). At the level or slightly lower were the grades for the wines from the Grubela (8.8) and Goruli mtsvane (8.7 points) varieties. According to the results of the research, white technical grapevine varieties Grubela, Goruli mtsvane, Grdzelmtevana, and red technical variety Nakutvneuli were identified as promising in terms of a set of economically valuable features and high quality of wine products. These varieties are also recommended to be used in breeding for creating varieties with high technological properties for high-quality winemaking.