Vitis vinifera Exalta - Grape vine

The Exalta grape is a variety of medium to strong vigour, capable of reaching a height of 4m (13ft) or more when trained on a trellis or arbor. This variety produces a ripe, sweet, golden yellow table grape with muscat notes, ready to be harvested from late August. The large clusters of small berries are not very susceptible to rot and have good storage ability. These grapes have the advantage of being seedless. This vine will thrive in most neutral to limestone, well-drained soils in sunny locations. It is cold hardy.

The wine grape (Vitis vinifera) grew wild over 5000 years ago in North and Central America, Europe, and Central and Eastern Asia. The subspecies sylvestris still exists, it is a climbing plant, growing at the edge of forests and capable of reaching great heights in trees. The current grape varieties, are classified under the subspecies vinifera (although there are other cultivated species, but they are very minor). 

Exalta is a hybrid obtained in 1990 by INRA Bordeaux, by crossing the varieties 'Muscat de Hambourg', a well-known old variety, and 'Perlette', a seedless white grape. A sarmentous climbing shrub of medium to strong vigour, Exalta vine has a semi-erect habit and can easily reach a height or spread of 4m (13ft) if not pruned. It needs to be trained with long pruning and trained on a trellis or arbor that it can cover. Its foliage is a beautiful matte light green, with entire or three-lobed leaves, toothed all around. The herbaceous branches bear long yellow tendrils, which allow the plant to cling to the support provided. Its flowering occurs in May-June depending on the year and region, offering very small greenish flowers gathered in fairly large conical and cylindrical clusters. Like most grapes, it is a self-fertile variety.
They develop into medium to large clusters of small tightly packed berries, turning amber yellow when ripe from late August (1 week after Chasselas) and good for picking throughout September. With thin skin and juicy pulp, these berries are sweet and slightly muscat-flavored, thanks to one of their parents. From the second parent, they inherited the absence of seeds... or rather, seeds do form, but they remain very small so they are not noticeable when consumed. They remain in the stage of simple undeveloped seeds without lignification... These berries are not very susceptible to rot and store well before being consumed. It is useful to do green pruning to remove certain leaves so that the grapes are well exposed to the sun and can acquire that beautiful golden colour, a sign of their taste quality.
Very hardy (down to -20°C, even -25°C), this vine grows in full sun, in neutral to limestone soil, or slightly acidic, well-drained soil. Ordinary soil is sufficient, even rocky soil, as long as it is not too dry. Soil that is too rich or excessive fertilization will benefit vegetative growth more than fruit production. Just apply organic fertilizer after harvest for winter storage. Your vine will use it to restart well in the following spring.

The Exalta grape can be eaten as table grapes or used for juice, for example in a vitamin-packed fruit cocktail for breakfast. In general, grapes are rich in B vitamins, a source of fiber and manganese, and they are well supplied with antioxidants. They are also believed to play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and above all, they are a healthy, natural, and delicious dessert. Exalta has pleasant floral aromatic notes. You can plant it alongside other varieties, such as black grapes, to vary the pleasures, like Merlot, well-known in wine production but also enjoyable fresh.