Vitis vinifera Muscat Rouge De Madere - Grape vine

The 'Muscat Rouge De Madère' grape is a very old table grape variety, probably originating from Portugal. It is an early variety with reddish-purple berries, whose tender and not very juicy flesh is very sweet, with a slight musky flavour. This vine is not self-fertile, so it needs another vine nearby to be pollinated. While hardy, it is quite susceptible to common vine diseases. It can grow in ordinary or even poor, well-drained soil, in full sun.

The wine grape vine (Vitis vinifera) grew wild over 5000 years ago in North and Central America, Europe, and Central and Eastern Asia. The subspecies sylvestris still exists, it is a climbing vine that grows on the edge of forests and can reach great heights in trees. Its introduction to France for cultivation was done by the Phoenicians in Provence around 600 BC. The current varieties are classified under the subspecies vinifera (although there are other cultivated species, but they are very minor). Economically, wine grapes dominate over table grapes, with more than 200 authorised grape varieties in France, the result of centuries of selection work.

The 'Muscat Rouge De Madère' grape is the result of a natural intraspecific cross-breeding, and this grape variety is now almost extinct. It is grown in various countries such as Portugal - where it is believed to originate from - as well as Italy, Romania, Moldova etc. Genetic tests have identified its parents, which are the 'Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains' (a Greek grape variety cultivated since antiquity) and 'Sciaccarello' (or 'Mammolo nero'), a black grape used for winemaking, found in Corsican wines.

This variety has a semi-erect to erect habit and good vigour. It can reach a height of 4m (13ft) or more when trained on a trellis or arbor. Its leaves usually have 5 well-marked lobes, with a lamina bearing fairly pronounced teeth all around, some of which turn red in autumn. Unlike most vine varieties, which have hermaphroditic flowers and are therefore self-fertile, the flowering of this muscat consists only of female flowers. Therefore, they need to be pollinated by another variety planted nearby. This cross between a white and a black grape resulted in red grapes, with dark red berries that turn violet, covered with a bloom. The clusters form early because this muscat is an early variety and can be harvested as early as August. Fairly large, cylindrical to conical in shape, these clusters carry medium-sized, somewhat irregular, spherical to flattened berries, with a beautiful reddish-purple colour when ripe. The tender flesh is melting, not very juicy, and very sweet, with a musky flavour.

Unfortunately, it is prone to coulure and millerandage (abortion of flowers resulting in falling off before ripening, and clusters consisting of grapes of different sizes and maturities), this variety is not very productive. Additionally, it is worth noting that it is quite susceptible to common vine diseases such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, grey rot, and anthracnose. However, when it comes to soil, it is not demanding and can grow in poor soil as long as it is well-drained.

The 'Muscat Rouge De Madère' grape will interest fans of old varieties, but its susceptibility to diseases does not make it the best choice for beginners. Nevertheless, its very sweet berries are of real interest to fruit enthusiasts. In general, grapes are rich in vitamin B, a source of dietary fibre and manganese, and they are also rich in antioxidants. They are believed to play a role in preventing cardiovascular diseases, and most importantly, they are a healthy, natural, and tasty dessert. To enjoy different flavours, plant a white grape variety like 'Bianca' next to it, which also has very sweet pulp. Or the Thornless Loganberry, which you can enjoy fresh or cooked in desserts or jellies.