🍇 Diamant

Diamant is a table grape with white berries, bred in Slovakia. According to VIVC, it was created by Dorota Pospíšilová at the research station for viticulture and oenology in Bratislava: the cross of the Bulgarian Yulski Biser with the Hungarian Pannónia Kincse was made in 1970. The pedigree is given according to the breeders.

A description of the variety published by the Slovak nursery Vitis Select says that 5 forms were selected from this cross and 3 of them were recognised as varieties: Diamant (number 13/22), Dora and Rubanka. Diamant was registered in Slovakia in 1997, has had legal protection since 1992, and in 1998 it was also registered in the Czech Republic. Pospíšilová herself recalls that in 1997 two more of her table varieties, Dora and Opál, were registered together with Diamant.

Diamant buds late, so spring frosts do it little harm; it briefly withstands −18 °C, but frosts following a thaw badly damage the winter buds. The bunches ripen at the end of August, about 10 days after Dora. The juice has 14.5–16.5 kg/hl of sugar and 5.5–7.5 g/l of acidity. The variety crops very heavily: a potential 18–25 t/ha, while 16–20 t/ha is recommended for the market. It needs preventive protection against downy and powdery mildew, but is not prone to grey mould.

Why it matters to you. Diamant is convenient to pick gradually: the bunches stay at eating maturity for a long time and stand up well to transport and storage. On the other hand, it needs a warm site and watering in drought, as well as regular protection against downy and powdery mildew.