If you want a grape vine that earns its keep, Vitis vinifera ‘Chasselas Doré’ is a solid pick. It grows with real energy and rewards you with pale green grapes that ripen to a warm golden yellow. You can enjoy the fruit fresh as a dessert grape, or use it in home wine-making if you like to experiment. It also gives you a leafy screen over a pergola, fence, or sunny wall, then finishes the season with yellow autumn leaves.

Other common names you may see include Chasselas, Golden Chasselas, Doré Chasselas, and Swiss Chasselas.

Why you will like it in your garden

• Productive habit, one established vine can cover a good stretch of trellis in a few seasons.
• Sweet, juicy grapes for eating straight off the plant when fully ripe.
• Great for training, you can shape it over wires, arches, or a greenhouse frame.
• Seasonal interest, dense summer leaves, then yellow tones in autumn.

Benefits for UK wildlife

This vine can help you add more cover and structure, which matters in wildlife-friendly gardens. Dense foliage gives small birds a place to shelter from wind and rain. If you train it along fencing, you also create a living corridor where wildlife can move with more protection. Fallen leaves add light mulch through autumn, which supports soil life such as worms and other decomposers. Healthier soil usually means more invertebrates, which many garden birds rely on.

Height and spread

At maturity, expect around 8 to 12 metres in height with support, and roughly 3 to 6 metres spread. The final size depends on pruning, training style, and how warm your site is.

Best growing conditions

• Light, full sun for best growth and fruit ripening.
• Shelter, a warm wall, south or south-west aspect, or a greenhouse gives you better results in much of the UK.
• Soil, Well-drained soil is essential. Neutral to alkaline suits it well.
• Water, keep young plants watered in dry spells. Once established, water during long dry periods, especially while the fruit is swelling.
• Spacing, give it room and airflow. Aim for at least 2 metres from other large climbers.

Pruning and care tips

Pruning keeps the plant tidy and helps fruiting. It also improves airflow, which reduces the chance of mildew in still, humid spots.

• Winter, cut back to a clear framework and remove weak or crowded stems.
• In summer, thin excess growth so light reaches developing grapes.
• Support, tie new shoots to wires or trellis as they grow.
• Feeding, add a spring mulch of compost. Keep it a few centimetres away from the main stem.