During the 'cold war' the breeder Professor V. Kraus (in the former Czechoslovakia) gave some seeds to Professor Helmut Becker (1927-1990) then head of Geisenheim, who realised the significance or this breeding programme because of the high peronospora and winter-frost resistance of the asiatic Vitis amurensis.

Professor Helmut Becker then continued the development of these 'amurensis' Seedling-populations, which he designated 6494 etc.
Gm 6494 was a Seeding-population which was bred in 1964 by Professor V. Kraus from Zarya Severa x St. Laurent.

From the Seedling-population Gm 6494 the seedling Gm 6494-5 was grown and trialed, and due to its special performance it was later registered under the name Rondo.

In later years, Norbert Becker (Head of Staatliches Weinbauinstitut Freiburg) investigated the breeding of Prof. V. Kraus from 1964, he discovered that the Seedling-population that had been designated Gm 6494 in Geisenheim had erroneously been recorded to be from the vine Saperavi Severni instead of Zarya Severa (native vines). Additional research by Becker's successor Volker Joerger together with colleagues from the Research Institute Geisenheim proved the error, and the true parenthood has been certified since 2003.

A red Piwi/disease-resistant variety. The most exciting Piwi red variety for cold climates.

Year of entry into the German Federal Office's Varieties Register: 1997
Area planted in Germany:         hectares (in Rheinhessan)
Area planted in England (as at August 2004): 19.6 hecatres, 11th largest
          It is also grown in Sweden (Gottland), Denmark and Holland

Wine Character - colour: dark ruby red, without blue nuances (so it can be blended)
                      - bouquet: 
                      - palate: a full-bodied red wine without any strange tone

Time of bud-burst: early-middle

Strength of growth: medium-high, shoots tend to hang downwards
Growth of side-shoots: medium

Flowering time: very early
Flowering strength: high

Leaf: - size:                                    - shape: 
        - colour: very dark green
        - surface undulation:                - petiolar sinus: 

Grape bunch: - size:                         - density: 
Berries:        - size:                         - shape: 
                   - skin colour: 

Time of veraison: very early
Time of harvest: very early

Grape yield: medium-high
Must-weight: medium
Must-acidity: medium-low

Wood ripening: early and very good
Winter hardiness: very high
Wood colour: 

Chlorosis resistance: very high
Susceptibility to - Oidium: low-medium          - Peronospora: not susceptible
                       - Botrytis: low                     - Roter Brenner: 
                       - Phomopsis:                       - Stem-atrophy: not susceptible
In the UK it is slightly susceptible to oidium so an early spray and pre-flowering spray are advisable.

Preferred soil: any soils suitable for viticulture with good water supply. Because of the early bud-burst it is important that vineyards should not be prone to late spring frost.
Suitable rootstocks: SO4, 5C, 125AA and 5BB.

Normal stem height: 
Normal row spacing: 
Vine spacing in the row: 
     Normal and wide-planting training systems are possible. Since the shoots tend to hang downwards a high training system is advantageous.

Winter Pruning: 6 eyes/buds per sq. metre of land occupied by the plant. Always crops well, whether it is spur pruned or long cane pruned.

Advantages: Very high quality full-bodied dark red wine. Can be grown on any site which is not prone to late spring frost. Consistently high yield and ripeness. A tribute to the work of Professor Helmut Becker.

Disadvantages: In the UK in certain years (according to the weather) it can be attacked by wasps, as can all early ripening grape varieties (e.g. Siegerrebe, Madeleine Angevine).

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