Chelois () is a variety of

hybrid grape Hybrid grapes are grape varieties that are the product of a Hybrid (biology), crossing of two or more ''Vitis'' species. This is in contrast to crossings between grape varieties of the same species, typically ''Vitis vinifera'', the European grape ...

used in the production of

red wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties. The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice from most purple grap ...

s. The fruit are small blue-black berries, which appear in compact, medium-sized clusters. Chelois is among the less hardy hybrids of red-wine grapes.

History and origins

Chelois is an

interspecific hybrid In biology, a hybrid is the offspring resulting from combining the qualities of two organisms of different breeds, varieties, species or genera through sexual reproduction. Hybrids are not always intermediates between their parents (such as in ...

developed by viticulturist

Albert Seibel Albert Seibel (1844–1936) was a French physician and viticulturist who made hybrid crosses of European wine grapes (''Vitis vinifera'') with native North American grapes. His crosses are known as Seibel grapes. Biography Seibel was born in Aub ...

Ardèche Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha; frp, Ardecha) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It was one of thousands of French-American hybrid grapes developed by scientists to combat

powdery mildew Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of ascomycete fungi in the order Erysiphales. Powdery mildew is one of the easier plant diseases to identify, as ...

and

phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs ...

, which infiltrated France in the 18th century. The naturally resistant American grape ''

Vitis labrusca ''Vitis labrusca'', the fox grape, is a species of grapevines belonging to the ''Vitis'' genus in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The vines are native to eastern North America and are the source of many grape cultivars, including Catawba, Co ...

'' was combined with Europe's ''

Vitis vinifera ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. There are curre ...

'' to prevent the eradication of Europe's vineyards. It was introduced to Canada in 1946 and was registered in the United States in 1948. There is anecdotal evidence that it existed in Oregon prior to 1946. It largely disappeared within the next decade, due to its susceptibility to Tomato Ringspot Virus.

Offspring

In 1974, Chelois was crossed with Elvira (a

white grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry (botany), berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non-Climacteric (botany), climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of ...

) to produce a hybrid called Ventura, designated as a white grape. The Ventura grape is very productive and cold hardy.

Viticulture

Chelois grapevines are vigorous and productive with an upright growth habit. The buds break late, reducing the risk of damage due to late frost. It ripens early. Secondary buds are capable of producing a small crop. To prevent over cropping, it may be necessary to thin clusters. Chelois is highly susceptible to

Botrytis bunch rot ''Botrytis cinerea'' is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as "botrytis bunch rot"; in horticulture, it is usually called "grey mould" o ...

, Eutypa die back, Phomopsis stem and leaf spot, and powdery mildew. It is also susceptible to

crown gall ''Agrobacterium'' is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria established by H. J. Conn that uses horizontal gene transfer to cause tumors in plants. ''Agrobacterium tumefaciens'' is the most commonly studied species in this genus. ''Agrobacterium'' i ...

black rot Black rot is a name used for various diseases of cultivated plants caused by fungi or bacteria, producing dark brown discoloration and decay in the leaves of fruit and vegetables: * A disease of the apple, pear and quince caused by a fungus (''Botry ...

, downy mildew and

anthracnose A plant canker is a small area of dead tissue, which grows slowly, often over years. Some cankers are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore can have major economic implications for agriculture and horticultur ...

, but to a lesser degree. It is moderately hardy in cold temperatures (-10 to -15 °F).

Winemaking

Among French-American hybrid grapes, the wine quality of Chelois ranks highly.

Wine regions

Ardeche, France

Chelois was first developed in France by Albert Seibel in an attempt to produce hardy grape varieties that could withstand powdery mildew and phylloxera.

Oregon, United States

King's Raven Winery and Epyllion Vineyard, both near

Oregon City, Oregon ) , image_skyline = McLoughlin House.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = The McLoughlin House, est. 1845 , image_flag = , image_seal = Oregon City seal.png , image_map ...

, produce a small quantities of Chelois wine.

New York, United States

Acreage planted with Chelois decreased drastically in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

during the 1980s when demand for red wine lessened. In the early 1990s, interest in the variety resurged as interest in red wine increased.

Michigan, United States

Nathaniel Rose Wine consistently produce small quantities of varietal Chelois from fruit grown in the Domaine Berrien Vineyard.

References

{{Wines Red wine grape varieties