Muscat bleu is a red
Swiss wine
Swiss wine is produced from nearly of vineyards, and the wines are mainly produced in the west and in the south of Switzerland, in the cantons of Geneva, Neuchâtel, Ticino, Valais and Vaud. White grape varieties are grown on 43% of the countr ...
and table
grape variety
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried ( raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see V ...
that is a
hybrid
Hybrid may refer to:
Science
* Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding
** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species
** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
of
Garnier 15-6 and
Perle noire. The grape was developed in
Peissy in the
Canton of Geneva
The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva (french: link=no, République et canton de Genève; frp, Rèpublica et canton de Geneva; german: Republik und Kanton Genf; it, Repubblica e Cantone di Ginevra; rm, Republica e ...
by Swiss grape breeder
Charles Garnier in the 1930s. Today the grape is used as both a
table grape and for
winemaking
Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and w ...
, producing wines that
Master of Wine Jancis Robinson describe as "soft and grapey". Outside Switzerland some plantings of Muscat bleu can also be found in
Belgium.
[J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pg 687 Allen Lane 2012 ]
Pedigree
Muscat bleu is considered to be a "
complex hybrid", meaning that within its lineage are grape varieties belonging to several different species of the grapevine genus, ''
Vitis
''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 79 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, ...
''. Despite having the name ''Muscat'', there are actually no
Muscat grape
The Muscat family of grapes includes over 200 grape varieties belonging to the ''Vitis vinifera'' species that have been used in wine production and as raisin and table grapes around the globe for many centuries. Their colors range from whit ...
varieties closely related to Muscat bleu. The grape is result of a crossing of Garnier 15-6 and Perle noire, both varieties themselves being inter-specific crossings with complex lineages.
Garnier 15-6 is a crossing of
Villard noir
Villard grapes are French wine hybrid grape created by French horticulturist Bertille Seyve and his father-in-law Victor Villard (father and grandfather of grape breeder Joannes Seyve). They include the dark skin Villard noir and the white-wine v ...
, developed in
Southwest France by
Bertille Seyve
Saint Berthild, also known as Bertille or Bertilla (died 692), was abbess of Chelles Abbey in France.
Life
Berthild was born into one of the most illustrious families in the territory of Soissons, France, during the reign of Dagobert I.In his sem ...
and
Victor Villard, and the ''
Vitis vinifera'' grape
Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau is a white grape variety (sp. '' Vitis vinifera'') which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882 at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in Germany. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madelein ...
developed by Swiss grape breeder
Hermann Müller. Villard noir is a crossing of the
Seibel grape
Seibel grapes are a group of wine grape varieties which originated with the work of Albert Seibel crossing European grape with American grape species to increase disease resistance. They were planted widely in France during the 1950s but have see ...
s
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
and
Les Subéreux which have ''
Vitis labrusca'' and ''
Vitis riparia
''Vitis riparia'' Michx, with common names riverbank grape or frost grape, is a vine indigenous to North America. As a climbing or trailing vine, it is widely distributed across central and eastern Canada and the central and northeastern parts ...
'' and ''
Vitis rupestris
''Vitis rupestris'' is a species of grape native to the United States that is known by many common names including July, Coon, sand, sugar, beach, bush, currant, ingar, rock, and mountain grape. It is used for breeding several French-American ...
'' in their lineages. Müller-Thurgau is a crossing of two ''vinifera'' varieties,
Riesling
Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling ...
and
Madeleine Royale
Madeleine Royale is a variety of white grape. It is mostly grown for table grapes or ornamental purposes, but is notable as a parent of Müller-Thurgau and Madeleine Angevine. It ripens extremely early, in some cases by the 22 July, the feast day ...
.
Perle noire is a crossing of the ''Vitis vinifera'' Spanish table grape variety
Teneron and
Seyve-Villard 12-358 which, itself, is a complex hybrid from the Seibel grapes Les Subéreux and Seibel 6468.
Viticulture
Muscat bleu is an
early ripening variety that buds midway through the budding period of the
growing season. The vine produces large, loose clusters of large size berries that give off a sweet "grapey", muscat-like aroma that can attract
wasps to the vineyard. Muscat bleu has good resistance to
fungal infections
Fungal infection, also known as mycosis, is disease caused by fungi. Different types are traditionally divided according to the part of the body affected; superficial, subcutaneous, and systemic. Superficial fungal infections include common ti ...
such as
downy mildew but is susceptible to the
viticultural hazards
This is a list of diseases of grapes (''Vitis'' spp.).
Bacterial diseases
Fungal diseases
Miscellaneous diseases and disorders
Nematodes, parasitic
Phytoplasma, virus and viruslike diseases
See also
*'' Ampeloglypter ater''
*'' Am ...
of
coulure
Coulure (pronounced coo-LYUR) is a viticultural hazard that is the result of metabolic reactions to weather conditions that causes a failure of grapes to develop after flowering. In English the word ''shatter'' is sometimes used. Coulure is trig ...
and
millerandage
Millerandage (or shot berries, hens and chicks and pumpkins and peas) is a potential viticultural hazard problem in which grape bunches contain berries that differ greatly in size and, most importantly, maturity. Its most common cause is cold, rai ...
.
Wine regions
Today Muscat bleu is found in Switzerland and Belgium where it is used for both table grape and wine production. In Switzerland, the grape is a popular planting among
home gardeners but as of 2009 there were at least of Muscat bleu dedicated to commercial wine production.
Synonyms
As a relatively recently created hybrid, Muscat bleu does not have many synonyms with only Aromato, Garnier 83/2, Muscat bleu Garnier and Muskat bleu generally recognized.
Vitis International Variety Catalogue
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) is a database of various species and varieties/ cultivars of grapevine, the genus ''Vitis''. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (''Institut für Rebenzüchtung ...
(VIVC)
Muscat bleu
' Accessed: June 11th, 2013
References
{{Hybrid grape varieties
Red wine grape varieties
Hybrid grape varieties