Genetic, morphological and chemical characterisation of the grape variety 'Probus' (Vitis vinifera L.)

Abstract

In the middle of the 20th century, varieties of Vitis vinifera locally grown in the Balkans were crossed with varieties from Western Europe with the aim of improving wine quality. The variety 'Probus' originated from the crossing of 'Kadarka' and 'Cabernet Sauvignon' and was released in 1983. The acreage of 'Probus' has recently increased in Serbia, along with the reputation of its wine. A detailed characterisation of this variety is therefore desirable. Traits with high heritability such as phenology, leaf morphology, anthocyanin profile, and microsatellite DNA were compared between 'Probus' and its parents were compared. 'Probus' and 'Cabernet Sauvignon' showed a synchronized phenology and highly similar leaf shape. The anthocyanin composition of 'Probus' wines was more similar to 'Cabernet Sauvignon' than to 'Kadarka', due to high anthocyanin content and high relative abundance of tri-substituted monoglucosides and acetylated conjugates, which are usually associated with deeper and more durable colour during the ageing of red wines. For total anthocyanin content, 'Probus' performed even better than 'Cabernet Sauvignon' in the environmental conditions of Northern Serbia. 'Probus' has compact bunches and large berries typical of the high-yielding 'Kadarka'. DNA analysis confirmed the alleged parentage of 'Probus' and revealed the high heterozygosity of its genome, as result of the cross between distantly related parents. These results confirm that 'Probus' is a promising variety for the production of quality red wines in Southeastern Europe.