The red grape variety is a new breed between Dodrelyabi (Kharistvala Kolkhuri) x Muscat d’Hamburg. In 2018, DNA analyses revealed that the parentage listed in the breeding list, Bellone x Lady Downe’s Seedling, was incorrect. Over 50 synonyms indicate its wide distribution. The most important are Afrikai Szoeloe, Alfons, Alfons Lavale, Almeria Negra, Alphonso Lavallée, Alphonse Lavallée Crni, Ansley’s Large Oval, Black Marocco, Black Muscadel, Blauer Damascener, Blaue Oliventraube, Cespljevna, Entes, Gros Guillaume, Pennington Hall Hamburgh, Persia, Prince Royal Albert, Raisin d’Afrique, Raisin du Jerusalem, Ribier, Royal, Slivovyi, and Slyovy. The crossing occurred around the year 1860 in Orléans (France) by an unnamed nursery gardener. It was named after Alphonse Lavallée (1791-1873), the president of the "Société d’Horticulture de France". The variety was a crossing partner of the new breeds Alden, Attika Seedless, Cardinal, Carla, Delhro, Lival, Muscat de Bugeac, Osennii Ciornai, and Ribol. The table grape Leopold III is a mutation. The medium to late ripening, high-yielding vine is susceptible to both mildew types as well as Botrytis, tends to shatter, and is sensitive to frost. It is mainly used as a table grape, as well as for the production of raisins. The variety occupies around 10,000 hectares of vineyard area worldwide as a table grape in Argentina, Australia, Belgium (in greenhouses), Chile, India, Canada, South Africa, and Turkey. As a wine grape, it is grown in France (606 ha), Peru (18 ha), Switzerland (0.1 ha), and Spain (10 ha) and recorded a total of 634 hectares of vineyard area in 2016 (Kym Anderson). Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI).
