Tsimpliansky Sergienko grape represents a medium-late variety intended for the production of dry, dessert, and sparkling wines. The bushes of this variety are vigorous with good shoot ripening, and the leaves are large, three-lobed with dense silky pubescence. The bunches have a cylinder-cone shape, are dense, with an average weight of about 160 grams, and often have double or winged elements. The berries are round, blue-black, weighing about 1.4 grams, with juicy flesh and colorless juice. The seeds are of medium size. The sugar content in the berries reaches 23.6 g/100 cm3, acidity is 6.3 g/dm3, which provides a high tasting score for dry wine — 8.7 points. The yield of the variety is on average 67.4 centners per hectare.
This grape variety is autochthonous to the Lower Don region and received its name after the area of spread in the vicinity of Tsimplianskoye reservoir. It is widely cultivated in the Rostov region and neighboring regions. Tsimpliansky Sergienko belongs to early-medium varieties, ripening usually in late August — early September, which allows it to be used for the production of red and sparkling wines. Wines from this variety are characterized by soft astringency and pronounced berry aroma with notes of plum, cherry, and spices. Upon aging, beverages acquire more complex shades and rounded tannins, which makes them particularly valuable for blending and creating rich fruity aromas.
The variety has high drought resistance and winter hardiness, which makes it suitable for growing in southern regions of Russia. Disease resistance is average: weak susceptibility to downy mildew and gray rot, medium — to powdery mildew, therefore it requires regular preventive treatments. For optimal development and yield, planting is recommended on southern or south-western slopes with well-warmed soils, as well as proper pruning and fertilization. Tsimpliansky Sergienko was bred at the Potapenko Institute of Viticulture in Novocherkassk, being a hybrid of Augusta and Tsimpliansky Black varieties, which provides it with frost resistance and basic fungal diseases.
