Helios (originally known as Fr. 242-73)
Mother: Merzling
Father: (Seyve-Villard 12-481 x Müller-Thurgau)
A white Piwi/disease-resistant variety.
Year of breeding: 1973 (Norbert Becker)
Country of origin: Germany
Breeder/License holder: Staatliches Weinbauinstitut Freiburg
Number of clones: Fr 380
Year of entry into the German Federal Office's Varieties Register:
Area planted in Germany in :
hectares
Area planted in England:
Wine Character - colour:
- bouquet:
- palate: strong, fruity, a little like Müller-Thurgau, for early drinking
Time of bud-burst: average, as Müller-Thurgau
Strength of growth: average, upright
Growth of side-shoots: below average
Flowering time: average, as Müller-Thurgau
Flowering strength:
Leaf: - size: medium-large
- shape: 3-lobed
- colour: intensive green
- surface undulation: slightly glazed
- petiolar sinus: closed
Grape bunch: - size: medium, little shouldered - density: relatively loose
Berries: - size: small
- shape:
- skin colour: yellow-green
Time of veraison: average, as Müller-Thurgau
Time of harvest: average
Grape yield: high, between Pinot gris and Müller-Thurgau
Must-weight: high, 10 °Oechsle above Müller-Thurgau
Must-acidity: average, as Müller-Thurgau
Wood ripening: good
Winter hardiness: good to very good
Wood colour:
Chlorosis resistance:
Resistance against - Oidium: very high ?
- Peronospora: high to very high
- Botrytis: high
- Roter Brenner:
- Phomopsis
- Stem-atrophy:
May be a little sensitive to Oidium.
Preferred soil:
Suitable rootstocks:
Normal stem height:
Normal row spacing:
Vine spacing in the row:
Winter Pruning: eyes/buds per sq. metre of land occupied by the plant.
Advantages: appears to have potential for the UK
Disadvantages: