Cardinal - a table variety of vine with an early ripening period

(Flame Tokay x Alifons Lavalle)
[E. Snaider, U. Harmon, California, SUA]

Cardinal - a table variety of vine with an early  ripening period. It is widely spread in the countries of Southern and Eastern Europe.

The grapes are big: 19-28 cm long and 13-19 cm large.

Shape: cylinder-conical

Grain density: dispersed.
The peduncle of the cluster is long (6-8 cm); green.
Grape weight: 340-510 g.
The grains are very large (21-29 mm long, 18-23 mm large), round-oval or oval, red-violet, covered with obscure bloom. As many as 100 grains weigh 800-1,100 grams. The peel is thick, but slightly eatable. The pulp is juicy-fleshy, crisp, and greenish-white. There are 2-4 big seeds in the grains. The grapes taste   pleasant, with a slight incensed flavour.

The vegetation period: 120-130 days, and the amount of active temperatures: 2,300-2,400°C. The grains start ripening at the end of the first-second decades of August. The vine has a vigorous growth. The twigs mature enough. And it has a high productivity.

The variety is not resistant to the cryptogamic diseases and frosts. The presence of the multi-annual wood contributes to obtaining big and attractive grapes. A high grape harvest of the variety is likely to be obtained from cutting short the twigs.

The grapes can be transported. In the Republic of Moldova, it is recommended to cultivate this variety according to the protected-culture method.

Frost resistance: -18 º C.