Triomphe d'Alsace
Encyclopedia
Triomphe d'Alsace is a black grape variety of Franco-German origin, commonly grown in the United Kingdom
.
in Alsace
, then a part of Germany. First he crossed the American River Bank Grape, Vitis riparia
with another American species, the Bush Grape, Vitis rupestris
. The resultant hybrid was then crossed with Goldriesling
, a variety of the wine grape, Vitis vinifera
, developed about twenty earlier by Christian Oberlin. From a similar set of crosses came range of sibling varieties like Lucie Kuhlmann, Léon Millot
, Marechal Foch
, Maréchal Joffre, Pinard, Etoile I and Etoile II.
The variety was not brought to market until 1921, by which time Alsace
had been restored to France following World War I.
and North of England, and still further north in favourable situations. However, the variety is not so robust against disease and can suffer from mildew if the autumn is exceptionally wet.
In England, the vines need to be pruned
hard in the winter to keep them under control, as they will grow to great size if not cut back. It is important to prune while growth is completely absent, as the stems bleed sap profusely once the growing season begins..
Wine made from the Triomphe d'Alsace can vary from a very deep, almost black, purple to a rosé, depending on the method of extraction. Although the sugar content is quite high, under English conditions it will usually require some chaptalization
to bring the level of alcohol into the 10-12% range. The red wine is considered to have a slight flavour of raspberry.
and in Wine from the United Kingdom
. It was widely planted in English vineyards until the 1990's but has since become less fashionable. It remains a favourite among amateur winemakers and gardeners because of its ease of cultivation and its value as a shade plant.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Origin and History
Triomphe d'Alsace was produced by Eugène Kuhlmann from about 1911 at the Institut Viticole Oberlin at ColmarColmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, then a part of Germany. First he crossed the American River Bank Grape, Vitis riparia
Vitis riparia
Vitis riparia Michx, also commonly known as River Bank Grape or Frost Grape, is a native American climbing or trailing vine, widely distributed from Quebec to Texas, and Montana to New England. It is long-lived and capable of reaching into the upper canopy of the tallest trees...
with another American species, the Bush Grape, Vitis rupestris
Vitis rupestris
Vitis rupestris is a kind of grape native to the Southern and Western United States that is known by many common names including July, sand, sugar, beach, bush, currant, ingar, rock, and mountain grape. It is used for breeding several French-American hybrids as well as many root stocks. ...
. The resultant hybrid was then crossed with Goldriesling
Goldriesling
Goldriesling is a grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera used for white wine. It was created in 1893 by Christian Oberlin in Colmar, Alsace by crossing Riesling with another grape variety, which is sometimes given as Courtillier Musqué Précoce, but not identified conclusively.Goldriesling is...
, a variety of the wine grape, Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
, developed about twenty earlier by Christian Oberlin. From a similar set of crosses came range of sibling varieties like Lucie Kuhlmann, Léon Millot
Léon Millot
Léon Millot is a red variety of hybrid grape used for wine. It was created in 1911 in the Oberlin Institute in Colmar, Alsace, by the French viticulturist Eugène Kuhlmann by crossing the hybrid grape Millardet et Grasset 101-14 O.P. with Goldriesling, which is Vitis vinifera...
, Marechal Foch
Marechal Foch
Marechal Foch , is an inter-specific hybrid red wine grape variety. It was named after the French marshal Ferdinand Foch , who played an important role in the negotiation of the armistice terms during the closing of the First World War. It was developed in Alsace, France by grape hybridizer...
, Maréchal Joffre, Pinard, Etoile I and Etoile II.
The variety was not brought to market until 1921, by which time Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
had been restored to France following World War I.
Description
The Triomphe d'Alsace vine is fairly vigorous and very robust, growing rapidly even in cool climates. The leaves are not deeply indented and can grow to a very large size, producing a dense canopy which has to be thinned to promote ripening and to suppress mildew. They become very tough and leathery with age, although they can be stuffed and eaten when young. The grapes are generally small and grow in a profusion of small bunches. They ripen early, and often suddenly, even in cool and damp summers, although harvest may have to be postponed as late as October. Good crops are possible at least in the MidlandsEnglish Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and North of England, and still further north in favourable situations. However, the variety is not so robust against disease and can suffer from mildew if the autumn is exceptionally wet.
In England, the vines need to be pruned
Pruning
Pruning is a horticultural practice involving the selective removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. Reasons to prune plants include deadwood removal, shaping , improving or maintaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for...
hard in the winter to keep them under control, as they will grow to great size if not cut back. It is important to prune while growth is completely absent, as the stems bleed sap profusely once the growing season begins..
Wine made from the Triomphe d'Alsace can vary from a very deep, almost black, purple to a rosé, depending on the method of extraction. Although the sugar content is quite high, under English conditions it will usually require some chaptalization
Chaptalization
Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar to unfermented grape must in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation. The technique is named after its developer, the French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal...
to bring the level of alcohol into the 10-12% range. The red wine is considered to have a slight flavour of raspberry.
Regions
Triomphe d'Alsace has never been widely grown in its countries of origin but did find a niche in the wine of colder countries. It is found in Dutch wineDutch wine
Dutch wine is wine made in the European country of the Netherlands. Although a very small producer of wine, the first mentioning of viniculture in what is now the Netherlands dates back to 968. However, modern production of wine was started only in the 1970s and is nowadays a strong growing branch...
and in Wine from the United Kingdom
Wine from the United Kingdom
Wine from the United Kingdom is generally classified as either English wine or Welsh wine, with reference to England or Wales as its respective origin. The term British wine is generally used for fermented imported grape juice or concentrate that can originate from anywhere in the world, and so is...
. It was widely planted in English vineyards until the 1990's but has since become less fashionable. It remains a favourite among amateur winemakers and gardeners because of its ease of cultivation and its value as a shade plant.
Synonyms
Triomphe d'Alsace is also known as- 319-1 Kuhlmann – after the breeder who developed it
- Triomphe – an abbreviated form