Budeshuri

16:50, 14 დეკემბერი 2018-ის ვერსია

Budeshuri

Budeshuri – Among local vine types spread throughout Western Georgia, Budeshuri deserves special attention as a vine type giving table grape and ordinary production.

In some regions of Kartli and Imereti it is also known as White Budeshuri, in contrast to the Black or Tsiteli Budushuri, whose distribution area is mainly Kakheti (3). It is also called Budushuri Grape, and in special literature (Professor S. Cholohkashvili, Iv. Javakhishvili, N. Chakhnashvili) it is called “Budeshuri” (5, 6, 9). We lack written materials about the origin of Budeshuri in the territory of Georgia, though we have found a little information about the beginning of the 17th century. For example, Sulkhan, Saba mentioned, in his wonderful dictionary: “The Budushuri Grape has an oblong seed.” This indicates the wide spreading of this type in the 16th-17th centuries.

From the second half of 19th century, short and just characterization is given in the works of L. Jorjadze (7), Geevski and Shareri (9), and also Phiralovi and Shaverdovi (11).

Later notes about Budeshuri, according to linguistic analysis, are found in the work of academician Iv. Javakhishvili (5), and its ampelographic characterization is shown in the guide book of viticulture of S. Cholokhashvili and in the monograph transferred for the publication in the Soviet ampelography.

Observation clarifies that the White Budeshuri that is spread throughout regions of outer Kakheti and Kartli are identical in their morphological features. And yet, in different places, the productivity, strength of vine growth and/or different size of bunch and seed corresponds to the local ecological conditions of this or that region. For example, in the wet conditions of outer Kakheti and Kartli, also in deep, strong and cultivated soils, Budeshuri grows strongly and bears large berries and bunches, thus bearing resemblance to the Tita grape.

According to Khanduralovi, Budushuri, in the conditions of Kartli, is characterized by less than average or weak growth and larger than average bunches and berries. By taste features, according to the same author, Budushuri belongs with the vine types of qualitative table grape and also to types giving valuable wine materials.

Linguistic analysis of its name deserves attention. In this regard, the outline of academician Iv. Javakhishvili is very interesting. According to this name, Budushuri is an indication of this type’s origin. The mentioned author says that its name must derive from the word Budeshi, but such a name has not been found on maps.

Similar name beginnings, as the venerable scientist explains, must indicate the place of its origin, for example: Budas Khevi in Batumi; Budalauri is the name of a river in Tianeti and Buja is the name of a ravine of water in Aragveti. Yet no person from the mentioned places considers it as the place of Budushuri’s origin, justifiably so, Iv. Javakhishvili thinks, as, for example, Tianeti is not an area of viticulture, and Buja and Budas Khevi can hardly be considered the homeland of this type, because it is not suited to areas beyond Imereti and does not appear in Likht-Imereti. The venerable scientist searched for an identical name to Budeshuri outside Georgia and indicates a side of Dagestan, where he connected the name of Budeshuri with the name of Rutul Kanton Buja. As it turns out, in the ritual, Bujeli is called Bujeshura and hence it could be possible to connect the identity of Budeshuri and Bujeshura, but the Rutul Kanton is from Mtianeti, where viticulture did not exist historically. Iv. Javakhishvili considers Budeshuri as a Western Georgian type and connects its name with some geographical name of Georgia.

There is a village called Busheti- Busheturi in Kakheti; perhaps there was a transfer of letters which give us the name Budeshuri. The observations of many years of this type show that Budeshuri, by its botanical-biological features, is a typical representative of Alazani, which belongs to the group of types widely spread in Kartli.

Before the spread of fungal diseases and phylloxera, Budeshuri was widely spread in the regions of Kartli, Meskheti, outer Kakheti and Kakheti, and also in Imereti.

According to an unknown author, as is mentioned by Iv.

Javakhishvili, White and Tsiteli Budeshuri were spread in Saro and Khizabavra territory. Confirmation of this is the still-remaining highland vineyards of Budeshuri found by scientists, whose age is determined as being that of many decades and whose productivity depends on suitable weather conditions.

In Imereti, the existence of White and Black Budeshuri is mentioned by Ilia Balkhtadze, but he does not give a characterization of this type.

According to legend, in the past, Budeshuri was used for table grapes and for the making of family wine. Budeshuri, as a relatively early maturing type, was wide-spread in the regions of Kartli and Meskheti.

As a result of fungal diseases and pests, plantations of Budeshuri were significantly reduced and, in some regions, completely destroyed.

According to the descriptive materials of 1953, the total area of Budeshuri was 114.30 hectares. Of this, 111.72 ha was lowland and 2.58 ha was highland. The distribution of these areas according to region and district is shown in Table 1.

As we can see from Table 1, Budeshuri occupies more areas in Kartli (88.44 ha), followed by Kakheti (20.01 ha) and in other regions it is only lightly represented (0.35 – 3.0 ha).

In the above-mentioned regions, Budeshuri among main types is represented as an admixture. In some villages of Kartli we also see it as low rows, especially on personal plots (Dighomi, Avchala, Gldani, and Mtskheta). With suitable care and development of Budeshuri vines on canopies, productivity will be satisfactory and the given production high quality, for use as table grape.

Botanical description

Budeshuri is described in the village of Tsedisi (Gori district) and, for comparison, in the collective vineyard of the Educational Farm of Dighomi.

The young sprout

The growth cones and newly expanded first leaf is thickly covered with whitish hair like down, whose sides have a light reddish or pinkish hue. The newly expanded first and following leaves are covered on both sides with white-grayish hair like down. The sides of leaves have a light pinkish hue. On the next third, fourth and fifth leaves, the down gradually reduces and the last leafs are almost bare. The down also reduces on the undersides, but lower leaves have little down, mainly around the veins. Leaves are characterized by a light green and slight reddish hue. Sprouts are light green and rounded, which is slightly with grayish hair like down.

The one-year shoot

Shoots are of average thickness (8 - 9 mm) and, during the period of ripeness, they take on a light yellowish color with grayish hue. They are characterized by light almost unnoticed stripes. Axils have a darker hue and the distance between them, 7 - 11 cm.

The Leaf

Mature leaves are of average size with a rounded shape or slightly oval. Their average length is 18.5 - 19.5cm and width 18.5 - 19cm and they are light green.

The veins of the leaf blade graft are more often open and deeply cut, with a lyre-like rounded base. Open and wide incisions with arrow like basis can also be found. In natural conditions, the blade incisions are often closed, close to each other or with narrow and wide clefts. Upper incisions are more often cut, though incisions with slight or noticeable angles can also be found. The incisions are, in most cases, closed with wide elliptic or rounded holes. The shape of open incisions are mainly lyre-like, rounded or with acute basis. Lower incisions are more often cut or are characterized by quite intruded angles. They are open and in some cases there is one simple tooth developed on the basis.

The leaf is, in most cases, three-lobed, sometimes five-lobed. The teeth of lobe tips are triangular, with convex sides and acute or pointed tips; triangular equal sides and acute tips can also be found. Lateral teeth are triangular or saw-teeth triangular, with one-sided convex and acute tips.

In natural conditions, leaves are funnel-shaped-cleft-like, or funnel-like, with smooth upper sides which are occasionally net-like wrinkled. On the upper sides there is no down, and on the undersides there is insignificant down along the incisions.

The ratio of leaf blade to middle main vein is 0.9 – 1.0: being shorter than the main vein, or equal to it. In some cases, there is insignificant down and it is reddish or dark-red.

The Flower

Flowers are hermaphroditic with normally developed stamens and pistil. The stamen is, by length, equal to the pistil, or slightly longer. Its number in flower varies from 5 to 7. More commonly there are 5 or 6. The knot is widely cone-like, with well developed column and nose divided into two. The number of flowers in an inflorescence is 150 - 350.

The Bunch

The length of a bunch pedicel is 4 - 6 cm. During the period of grape-ripening, it is only on the pedicel and it takes on the shoot color. Other parts of the pedicel are green.

Bunches are of average size, more often with a wide-cone-like shape, though branching and shapeless bunches can also be found. By structure, bunches are averagely dense. We also see very dense and thin bunches, whose length reaches 12.5 - 19cm and width 7.5 – 12.5cm.

The grain

The length of berry petiole, with pedicel, is 7 - 9mm, it is green. The pedicel is more often narrow cone-like and warty. The berry is quite strongly attached to the pedicel. During full ripeness, the berry is green with a yellowish hue on the sun side. Grains are of average size and have an oval shape or are slightly oblong. In the middle of the body, they are wider, with ends that are rounded and symmetrical. A grain’s average length is 16 – 19.5mm and width 13 – 15.5mm. The skin of berries is thin and does not separate easily from the flesh. It is juicy and fleshy, with an overly sweet taste. The skin of berries is quietly covered with wax.

The seed

There are one to three seeds in a grain. More often, we see one or two seeds, more rarely three. The average length is 6.5 - 8mm, and width 4.5 - 5.2mm. Seeds are light brown on the abdomen side and, in the clefts it has a yellowish-orange hue. The kalaza is located a little above the middle part of the rear side. It is quite depicted and has a rounded or oval shape. The tip has an orange-like color, and is slightly warty and cone-like shaped. Its length reaches 1.5 mm.

Agro-biological description

The vegetation period and course of phases

In the zone of Tsedisi village (Gori district), the length of the vegetation period from bud expansion to full grape-ripening is 159 days. At the testing station of Dighomi, it reaches 157 days; in the zone of Telavi, on the base of the testing collective of the Institute of Viticulture and Enology, according to the average data of observation of many years, it reaches 157 days.

In Table 2 is shown the average data of phonological observations held in the above mentioned places.

As is known, vine types of this area (Chinuri, Goruli Mtsvane and Tavkveri) reach full ripeness only in the middle of October and sometimes, as a result of temperature fall, these types fail to ripen in some micro-districts and, due to this, low qualitative wine materials are made from them. So, it is clear that greater attention must be paid to the selection of types characterized by short vegetation periods, and other places characterized by the same ecological conditions. In this regard, Budeshuri deserves attention.

As is clear from the figures of analysis in Table 2, in comparison with the main grape types of Kartli, Budeshuri ripens almost one month earlier.

Despite the significant distance between the observation territories (Tsedisi, Dighomi, and Telavi), in the course of some bio phases, Budeshuri is not characterized by significant difference and it varies between 3 and 4 days.

The growth of vine and ripeness of shoot. In suitable ecological conditions, and with the high background of agro techniques Budeshuri is characterized by average growth. At the end of the vegetation period, the length of some shoots is 1.5m and at the same time it takes on the typical hue of this type.

The productivity. Budeshuri gives first sign of harvest in its second year from planting and a total harvest in the 4th or 5th years. In suitable ecological conditions and with suitable care-treatment, Budeshuri is characterized by abundant productivity.

For example, in the micro-districts of Kartli, its productivity per hectare reaches 15 centners. The same situation can be found in Kakheti. In the case of vine formation following Georgian rule, productive sprouts reach, on average, 90 - 95%. There is one or two bunches on a shoot; rarely do we see three. Harvest from one vine reaches 3kg, which, calculated on hectare, reaches 120 centners. The coefficient of productivity is 1.5.

According to the data of the research Institute of Viticulture and Enology, in the zone of Telavi, the coefficient of productivity of Budeshuri is 1.5 and the harvest per vine is 160g. The number of productive sprouts per vine is 90 - 95%. Shoots with three bunches reaches 2%, those with two bunches- 40%, and those with one bunch -52%.

Durability against pests and fungal diseases

It is proved by observation that Budeshuri is susceptible to fungal diseases. It becomes easily infected by ash. Often, the main types of Kartli- Gorula Mtsvane, Chinuri and others -in the case of two injections of sulphur, keep absolutely healthy grapes, while Budeshuri, in the same conditions, becomes massively ill. So, 3 - 4 injections are necessary for Budeshuri. It is also not durable against mildew- in the same ecological conditions as Gorula Mtsvane and Chinuri, Budeshuri more easily becomes infected by this fungus.

Budeshuri is less endurable against phylloxera. This can explain the destruction of plantations in some regions of Kartli and Kakheti. Accordingly, its next distribution must take place only as engrafts, on properly selected roots characterized by endurance against phylloxera.

Response of species to different environmental conditions

As was mentioned above, Budeshuri belongs to group of vines characterized by average strength of growth. For its normal development it needs average loading following the bilateral wallpaper rule with the leaving of 22-24 buds.

Towards ecological conditions, Budeshuri shows almost no sensitivity; it successfully develops on all types of soil except salty and marshland places; also on all expositions. If we wish a qualitative production, however, it must be cultivated on foothills sloping to the south-east, in which there must be quite an amount of calcium-carbonate in the lower horizon.

In order to make local table wine, the cultivation of Budeshuri is better on deep, strong and humid soils. In such conditions it is characterized by abundant productivity.

This type is quite resistant to winter frosts, especially if the vine is well developed. The frosts of 1948 - 1949 in the Ateni gorge caused massive damage to Chinuri; yet in the same area Gorula Mtsvane and Budeshuri better endure the frosts. In conditions of Kartli, Budeshuri is most often planted on wet plots, so there is little information about its resistance to droughts. But we have quite a wealth of information from Kakheti regions. For example: in the zones of Telavi and Gurjaani, in soils which are not irrigated, Budeshuri is cultivated as an admixture, similar to Rkhatsiteli, and is characterized by a satisfying durability against droughts, which must be considered one of the positive features of the type.

Agro-technical characteristics

Mechanical structure of grape

For farming purpose, Budeshuri belongs to the group of vines producing table and wine-making materials. As was mentioned, it gives abundant harvest in deep and moist soils, but in such conditions it abundantly accumulates juice. Because of the thin skin of berries, it loses its transportation value. Despite this, during the period of full grape-ripening, with the percentage increase of sugar, acidity reduces significantly, and due to this, Budeshuri wine is less cheerful.

Below are the results of the mechanical-chemical analysis of Budeshuri wine, which was held on samples taken from the zones of Tsedisi and Dighomi (see Table 3).

The weight of a large bunch is 350 g. and weight of a minor bunch is 75g. The average bunch reaches 190g. There is an average of 82 - 105% berries on a bunch. An average bunch is made up of 96.2% grain, 13.1% skin, 2.25% seed and an outlet of juice of 82.15%.

100 berries averagely weigh 169.5 - 171.3 g; 100 seeds weigh 3.95g. Grains with one seed number- 52%; those with two seeds- 38%, and those with three seeds -10%.

According to materials of the Institute of Viticulture and Enology, data regarding the mechanical-chemical analysis of Budeshuri in Kakheti is shown in Table 4.

In order to determine the transportability of Budeshuri, great importance lies in the strength of the seeds’ attachment to the petiole and its resistance to crushing. In order to determine this, we present an average worked out by scientist of Institute of Viticulture and Enology, Kutubidze, on the educational farm of Dighomi, according to which berry resistance against separation from pedicel is 206g, and against crush 945g. So, White Budeshuri is absolutely worthless for transportation and is used as a local consumption table grape. White Budeshuri as a table type was awarded an estimation of 6.9 points.

The material given in Table 4 shows the abundant productivity of Budeshuri in the conditions of Kakheti and the high juice outlet. Confirmation of this is the average weight of a bunch (192 - 278 g) and the abundant outlet of juice (80.71 - 81.25%).

According to the analysis of sweet in Kakheti, Budeshuri accumulates sugar up to 18 - 19% and acidity significantly falls, which has negative effect on its wine quality.

Presently, Budeshuri is used as a local consumption table grape and for the making of ordinary table wines. In the past, according to legend, very pleasant sparkling wine was made as a result of mixing Budeshuri and Chinuri.

Separately made Budeshuri wine is not characterized by qualitative features- rather, it has ordinary features. In order to prove this, we present the results of the 1948 - 1950 chemical analysis of Budeshuri wine made in the gorge of Tana. (See Table 5)

Alcohol usually varies from 8.5 - 9.3°; relatively reduced alcohol is accompanied by low acidity (5.01 – 6.1), which makes the wine less cheerful. As a result of a tasting, this type received the following appraisal: a light straw-colored, transparent, slightly extracted, soft table wine.

Budeshuri wine made in Kakheti is characterized by almost the same features. There results of observation of wine material made in the Institute of Viticulture and Enology are shown below. (See Table 6).

So, according to the statistics, none of the wine samples is characterized with high qualities and represent wines for mass consumption.

Budeshuri wine materials are almost characterized with the same results. The chemical results of the wine sample analysis was made by eno-chemist V. Burjanadze. The results of the analysis are shown below. (See Table 7)

General evaluation and distribution by district

Observation over many years indicates the usefulness of Budeshuri wine as grape and table wine. Budeshuri wine, as vine type characterized by light ability of storing, can be used for local consumption. Budeshuri must be used as a table grape only locally, or at most, it can be taken to nearby micro-districts, because grape of such thin skin and juiciness suffers a lack of transportability. Budeshuri deserves attention as an abundantly productive and, at the same time, quite early ripening type.

As was mentioned above, the grape of Budeshuri ripens one month earlier than the main types of Kartli. Weak durability against ash and phylloxera must be considered the largest defects of this type. In order to protect it from ash, an additional injection of sulphur must be used and, for protection of the type against phylloxera, it must be cultivated as engrafts. We consider that production of Budeshura mixed with Chinuri and Gorula Mtsvane will give qualitative wine material for table and champagne wine making.

In order to produce table grapes for local consumption and ordinary wine material, it can be successfully distributed in the districts of Aspindza, Aveineni, Gori, Kaspi, Mtskheta, Tbilisi, Sagaredjo, Kachreti, Gurjaani and Telavi.

Bibliography

1. Ketshoveli N., Zones of Cultural Plants in Georgia. Tbilisi, 1957.
2. Orbeliani Sulkhan-Saba, Georgian Dictionary, Tbilisi, 1928.
3, Tabidze D., Development of Viticulture in Georgia (Regions of Viticulture and Typical Vine Structure) Tbilisi, 1950
4. Chakhnashvili N., Studying Vine Types of Kartli.
5, Cholokhashvili N., Guide Book of Viticulture, Vol. II. Tbilisi, 1938.
6. Javakhishvili Iv., Economic history of Georgia, Vol. II, Tbilisi, 1934.
7. Jorjadze L., Viticulture, Wine-making and Improvement. Tbilisi, 1987.

Source

Ketskhoveli, N. Georgian ampelography = საქართველოს ამპელოგრაფია / N. Ketskhoveli, M. Ramishvili, D. Tabidze ; [transl. by Dimitri Dolaberidze, Magda Javakhishvili, Sopho Chakhnashvili ; ed.: Katie Davise (main ed.), D. Maghradze, Larisa Vashakidze, Teimuraz Ghlonti]. - 2nd edition. - [Tbilisi] : Exclusive Print Ltd., [2012]. - 456 p. : ill. ; 32 cm.