In a world dominated by Bordeaux blends and Burgundian Pinots, a rebel grape is making waves—Alphonse Lavallée. Thriving just 8 degrees south of the equator, this varietal isn’t just surviving Indonesia’s tropical heat—it’s thriving.
Once seen as a table grape, Alphonse Lavallée has been transformed by Hatten Wines in North Bali into a producer of award-winning wines that challenge the boundaries of traditional viticulture, blending European elegance and Georgian resilience with a journey across countries that highlights its international appeal and the diverse expertise brought from different parts of the world.
Today, Alphonse Lavallée wines are featured in notable wine collections, further cementing their growing reputation.
In this article, we will learn more about Alphonse Lavallée wines, and understand why they are slowly becoming more important for winemaking in regions like Bali.
Alphonse Lavallée is the underdog success story of the wine world. A cross between Muscat Hamburg and Kharistvala Kolkhuri (a Georgian grape), it combines European elegance with Georgian resilience.
The distinctive colour of Alphonse Lavallée grapes—a deep, vibrant hue—makes them especially appealing to consumers and helps set them apart from other varieties.
While many grapes demand perfect conditions, this one is resilient, versatile, and low-maintenance—the Swiss Army knife of viticulture. Originally developed by Alphonse Lavallee, son of a French industrialist, the grape can be used for both table eating and winemaking.
The wines it produces are light, fruity, and tropical—not trying to imitate Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but instead pioneering a new category: equatorial wines. Expect citrus and sweet fruit notes, perfectly suited to Indonesia’s climate.
Although traditionally used as a table grape, more and more producers are using Alphonse Lavallée to craft wines. For this, they implement different winemaking processes.
Take, as an example, the method used by Hatten Wines. Under the leadership of James Kalleske (Australian) and Jeremy Pramana (Indonesian), the winery has developed a climate-defiant approach to winemaking.
These wines are engineered for immediate enjoyment, not decades in a cellar, showcasing the unique attributes of Alphonse Lavallée.
These wines are a tropical escape in a bottle. Distinctive aromas of exotic fruits set Alphonse Lavallée wines apart, making the sensory experience unique and memorable. The taste profile is deeply influenced by the tropical environment, resulting in vibrant and refreshing flavours. Traditional tasting notes don’t apply—guava, snake fruit, watermelon, pear, and even cucumber make appearances.
The fortified Pino de Bali, aged under a solera system, showcases the potential for complexity and depth in tropical winemaking.
Bali’s wine revolution wouldn’t be possible without its trailblazing producers—most notably, Hatten Wines and Two Islands. These wineries have put the island on the global wine map, offering a dazzling range of wine styles that defy expectations and delight palates from Bali to Spain, Australia, and Turkey.
For wine enthusiasts, a visit to the Hatten Winery or Two Islands is a must. Both offer immersive tasting experiences, guided tours of their vineyards and cellars, and a behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous production process—from careful grape harvests to fermentation and aging.
Forget European pairings. These wines are specifically designed to pair with Southeast Asian cuisine.
Forget what you know about wine geography—Alphonse Lavallée rewrites the rulebook.
It thrives in Bali’s key wine regions: Sanggalangit, Gerokgak, and Buleleng. These regions are known for their unique terroir, which combines:
The island's unique climate and soil impart a distinct character to the grape, deeply connecting the wine to Bali's sense of place.
The real innovation? Three harvests per year. While European vineyards roll the dice on one harvest, Bali’s approach minimizes risk and maximizes yield.
Hatten Wines tested over 50 international varieties, but Alphonse Lavallée emerged as the top performer—proof of purposeful experimentation, not luck.
These wines break conventional wine rules:
Closest comparison? Beaujolais Nouveau—but with a tropical twist.
Beaujolais Nouveau is a seasonal celebration. Alphonse Lavallée is perpetual spring—fresh, vibrant, and tropical all year long.
At Hatten Wines, sustainability is non-negotiable:
This is sustainability as strategy, not marketing.
Alphonse Lavallée isn’t trying to be “the next big wine”—it’s creating an entirely new category. Like Netflix for viticulture, it disrupts tradition by rewriting the rules.
Hatten Wines proves that innovation beats pedigree. What began as an improbable experiment has now become a globally recognized success.
These wines don’t imitate tradition—they embrace uniqueness. It’s Blue Ocean Strategy in action: creating new market space, not competing in crowded ones.
In a world of predictable Chardonnays and over-analyzed Cabs, Alphonse Lavallée offers true novelty. It’s not just a wine—it’s a manifesto for what wine can become in a changing world.
The final takeaway? Terroir isn’t about replicating Burgundy—it’s about expressing place. And Alphonse Lavallée expresses Bali like no other grape could.
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