The white grape variety is a new breed between Bacchus x Seyve-Villard 12-375 (Villard Blanc). The name was given after the brightest fixed star in the sky, nine light years away. Incidentally, the same parents also produced the two new varieties Phoenix and Staufer. They contain genes from Vitis berlandieri, Vitis rupestris and Vitis vinifera. The hybrid was crossed by the breeder Dr. Gerhardt Alleweldt (1927-2005) at the Institute for Vine Breeding Geilweilerhof in Siebeldingen-Pfalz. It was a crossing partner for the new varieties Felicia and Villaris. The vine is resistant to both types of mildew and is considered a PIWI variety. It produces fruity white wines similar to Riesling. In 2016, however, no more stocks were reported in Germany (D-STATIS).
Pictures: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)
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Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena