The Evelina apple has been produced since 2014 by three operators in France. Cooplim grows on 80 hectares at the moment and is planning to reach 100 hectares in 4 years. The Perlim-Meylim Alliance currently has 40 hectares and AlpUnion with 3 hectares of Evelina at the moment and the ambition to reach 25/30 hectares by 2025.
A 2021 harvest limited in quantity, but colored and tasty
As for many other varieties of apples this year, the Evelina harvest will be limited in volumes. But the club variety meets the expectations in terms of taste once again. “We are expecting a small harvest of about 3,000 tons while the production potential of the variety was 4,500 tons for this year. The production was indeed impacted by the April frost episodes. Nevertheless, we are once again very satisfied with the taste quality of the apples which is always very stable. It is a big advantage of this variety. The production is constant in terms of taste, there are never any bad surprises. Additionally, with the strong thermal amplitudes we’ve had in September, the apples have a very strong coloration this year,” explains Vincent Peydecastaing, director at Cooplim.
A bicolor high altitude apple that is only harvested ripe
The three professional operators for the labelled high altitude Golden decided to join the Evelina adventure because this variety, a cross between a Golden and a Clivia, is perfectly adapted to cultivation in high altitude. “When we planted the Evelina, we wanted to diversify our range of varieties with bicolor apples that can adapt well to our land. The Gala, which is present here already, was increasingly disappointing both in terms of taste and visual aspect. Clients slowly stopped asking for it. Evelina then arrived on the market from Italy (Val di non area) and was exactly what we were looking for. This colored mutant of Pinova ROHO 3615 reveals its color and taste potential in high altitude. It is a true terroir variety, contrary to most club varieties that can be grown in all French production basins,” explains Béatrice Chauffaille, communication manager at the Perlim-Meylim Alliance.
“Besides, it has a significant natural conservation potential. But what we found particularly appealing about the Evelina is that it is an apple that cannot lie. It can only be harvested where it is ripe and red, contrary to some clones in France for which the red coloration is not an indication of ripeness.”
“We must therefore be very reactive in order to harvest it at the right moment. It is a different approach than for the Golden, which makes it possible to spread the harvests and organize them differently in the Limousin,” explains Vincent Peydecastaing.
A club variety that remains accessible for the consumer
The two historical operators of Evelina really believe in the potential of the variety, to which they attribute many assets. “Evelina is an apple that appeals to the consumer. It is colorful, with a very good natural shelf-life, without artificial additives or wax, resistant to scab therefore meeting societal expectations. It is stable in terms of taste, with a good sweet/acidic balance and pronounced aromas. It also has a crunchiness that lasts over time contrary to most bicolor apples that tend to turn mealy. The Evelina keeps its organoleptic qualities until the end of July, which is very interesting for mass retailers that can market it during the second part of the season without having to resort to bicolor import varieties. And of course, the Evelina remains accessible for a club variety, so the consumer has access to a highly tasty product at a reasonable price. The price/quality ratio is good for a large target,” explains Béatrice Chauffaille.
Promising evolution of the Evelina apple with the arrival of AlpUnion
The initial goal was to reach 150 hectares of orchards planted in France within 10 years. With 123 hectares today and the launch of AlpUnion in the production of Evelina, the evolution of the apple on the market is promising. Additionally, although the weather hazards in recent years have impacted the production, the Evelina has a high marketing capacity. “The Evelina also has an export vocation when the calibers fit the market. In this respect, we plan to propose it in Spain,” explains Vincent Peydecastaing.
The goal of Cooplim, the Perlim-Meylim Alliance and Alp’Union is to make the Evelina known, enlarge its referencing and hope to have interesting volumes in 2022 in order to offer the variety to a larger number of clients.
For more information:
Vincent Peydecastaing
Cooplim
vincent@cooplim.com
Béatrice Chauffaille
Alliance Perlim Meylim
beatrice@perlim.com
Patrick Massot
AlpUnion
Patrick-massaot@orange.fr