A white varietal that has been grown in southern France for centuries, and is one of the 13 permitted Châteauneuf-du-Pape varietals.
In the Southern Rhône and the Languedoc region, Clairette provides the base in white blends. Its low acidity, high alcohol, and floral perfume make it an ideal blending grape.
Grenache Blanc is the fourth most widely planted white grape in France, and the most widely planted white in both the Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellations.
This is the white workhorse grape of the Southern Rhône and much of Southern France, and widely planted in Australia as well.
Almost certainly the oldest known wine grape varietal, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains has a noble history. It was established in Gaul by the Romans, and may even have been brought to Marseilles by the Greeks before that.
Picardin is a little-known white varietal that would have disappeared but for its inclusion as one of the 13 permitted Châteauneuf-du-Pape varietals.
Native to the Languedoc area, Piquepoul means “lip stinger,” an apt description of its high acidity must.
Roussanne’s name comes from its russet-colored skin. The grapes are somewhat prone to rot, but high in acidity and in aromatic qualities.
This ubiquitous grape is perhaps better known by its Italian name of Trebbiano. In Cognac, where it comprises almost 95% of all vines planted and forms the base for brandy, it is also known as St. Emilion.
Viognier may be the world’s least widely planted premium grape—but currently one of the most prized. In the vineyard, yields and acid levels tend to be low, and susceptibility to disease and rot high.
The Marsanne-Roussanne combination is a Southern French staple—the former for body, the latter for aroma, finesse and aging capacity.
