Grape variety and grafted vine plant Regina: all the secrets

Regina

It is one of the oldest and most widespread varieties of table grapes, which is why it has taken to many synonyms during the years. It is known as Pergolone in Abruzzo, Inzolia Imperiale in Sicily, Menavacca in Puglia, Calabria and Campania, Dattier de Beyrouth in France, Afouz Ali or Bolgar in Bulgaria, Aleppo in Romania, Rasaki on the Aegean islands. It is certainly of Eastern origin, perhaps from Syria. It is however not well known how and when it reached Italy, perhaps in ancient times, even before the vulgar era. Few vines have such a similar record of seniority of cultivation and such an extended area of diffusion, which is identified in almost all the wine-growing countries of the Mediterranean.

CULTIVATED AREA IN ITALY

YEAR	1990	2000	2010
HECTARES	12.590	3.539	3.563

Bud-burst period: late.
Ripening period: late.
Vigour: good.
Real fertility: 1,1.
Yield: great.
Cluster weight: 600-700 g.
Berry weight:7-9 g.
Berry seeds: 2 per berry.
Sugar content: 15-16%.
Total acidity: 5‰.
PH: 3,32.
Transportation resistance: high.

Ampelographic characters:

the hairless bud, with an expanded-globose apex, is green with bronzed-pinkish edge, has apical leaflets slightly folded, which are golden-green, translucent with bronzed-pinkish shades in colour. The leaf is medium, pentagonal, three or five-lobed with a U-shaped petiolar sinus and a wavy, almost smooth, hairless flap of pale green colour. The cluster is large, long, pyramidal or cylindrical, and fairly sparse with one or two wings. The large elliptical berry has a pruinose medium-thick golden yellow skin and a crunchy sweet pulp of neutral taste.