Bangalore Blue
A regional juice-purpose type for domestic markets. Not yet individually researched for a detail page.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Grapes
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Mid
- Expected yield
- High
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- GI (Geographical Indication) tag granted 2013 · a traditional Karnataka cultivar, not an ICAR-bred/released variety
About this variety
Bangalore Blue is a fox grape (Vitis labrusca) — closely related to the American Concord grape — grown for roughly 150 years around Bangalore, and awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2013. Cultivation is confined to three Karnataka districts (Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur, and Kolar) in the Nandi Valley, on red sandy loam under a distinctive day-night temperature swing (35–37°C day, 12–15°C night) found only in that pocket. It is used fresh, for jam/jelly and juice, and in fortified wine.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Mid
Expected yield
High
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Variable — naturally resistant to phylloxera, but susceptible to some fungal diseases
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- Corrected 2026-08-15: sourced material credits Bangalore Blue with natural resistance to phylloxera, inherited from its Concord ancestry — an additive finding, not a contradiction, so the diseaseResistance wording was extended to name it specifically alongside the existing 'Variable' fungal-disease rating.
- Reviewed 2026-08-15: a regional annual production figure of roughly 450,000 tonnes was found, but dividing it by the ~5,000 hectare growing area implies an implausibly high per-hectare yield for table grapes; this figure likely aggregates multiple years or a wider counting area than the core GI zone, so it was deliberately left unused and the existing 'High' yieldPotential rating stays as-is.
- Cultivation is described as geographically exclusive to Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur, and Kolar districts — consistent with, and narrower than, this record's existing single-state 'Karnataka' field.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
Frequently asked questions
Why is Bangalore Blue called a "fox grape"?
It belongs to Vitis labrusca, the American fox-grape species, closely related to the Concord grape — unlike most Indian table grapes, which are Vitis vinifera.
Where exactly is Bangalore Blue grown?
Only in the Nandi Valley pocket of three Karnataka districts — Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur, and Kolar — where a unique red sandy loam soil and day-night temperature swing occur together.
Does Bangalore Blue have a GI (Geographical Indication) tag?
Yes, granted in 2013 by the Government of India.
What is Bangalore Blue mainly used for?
Fresh eating, juice, jam and jelly, and fortified wine — it is not primarily a raisin or export-table grape.
Is Bangalore Blue disease-resistant?
Yes, in a specific way — it carries natural phylloxera resistance from its Concord ancestry, while remaining susceptible to some fungal diseases like mildew, as this record's 'Variable' rating now states explicitly.