Vitis vinifera 'Alphonse Lavallée' - Large circa 5-6ft Grape Vine
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Alphonse Lavallee is a dark-skinned grape variety used both as a table grape and as a wine grape. It was developed by and named after Alphonse Lavallee, the son of the noted French industrialist (also named Alphonse Lavallee), who co-founded the Ecole Centrale Paris. The variety is a crossing of Muscat Hamburg and Kharistvala Kolkhuri - an obscure variety from the Georgian Republic.
Alphonse Lavallee grapes are used in only a small number of wines around the world, the most interesting examples being made by the Hatten winery on the island of Bali, Indonesia. They are used there for making a variety of styles including dry, semi-dry and sparkling wines, all of which are united by an undeniably tropical, fruity nose - aromas that are particularly appropriate to Indonesia's climate and equatorial latitude. The Alphonse Lavallee's lightly pigmented flesh makes the variety a good choice for rosé wines as well as reds. It has also proved well suited to light, bright nouveau style wines (as in Beaujolais Nouveau) for summer drinking.
Although far from famous as a wine grape (it is consumed mainly as a table grape), Alphonse Lavallee wines have been successful even in international wine competitions. One notable wine, again from Indonesia, fell just short of winning its category at a 2003 wine show in Portugal. Alphonse Lavallee has had little international exposure since then, except perhaps among those who visit the beaches of Bali.
Established vine supplied at around 150-180cm tall.