Photo by VIVC - Vitis International Variety Catalogue
Description
Chasselas is a classic dual-purpose grape, probably from Burgundy or Switzerland, grown both for the table and for wine. Its medium bunches carry round, medium-sized white berries with thin skins and soft, juicy, pleasant-tasting flesh. As a table grape it stores and travels well. Its wines are delicate and fine but fairly neutral in aroma, and sometimes low in acidity. It is one of the earliest classic varieties to ripen, which is why French ampelographers use it as the yardstick for ripening dates.
Characteristics
White table and wine grape; medium round berries; thin skin; soft, juicy flesh; medium bunches; early ripening; good storage and transport; delicate, neutral wines
Growing Tips
Chasselas can be spur- or cane-pruned. It resists grey rot fairly well but is sensitive to powdery mildew, phomopsis and eutypa dieback, so start mildew sprays early and make clean pruning cuts in dry weather. On potassium-rich soils it often shows magnesium deficiency, and in poor flowering weather it can set uneven, 'hen-and-chicken' bunches.