Chasselas
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- For the town in France, see Chasselas, Saône-et-Loire.
| Chasselas | |
|---|---|
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| Chasselas grapes growing in Baden under its local name Gutedel | |
| Species: | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called: | Fendant, Gutedel |
| Notable regions: | Switzerland, Baden (Germany), Loire (France) |
Chasselas is a wine grape variety grown in Switzerland, France, Germany, Portugal and New Zealand.
Theories of its origin vary. Some believe it originally comes from from Egypt with a 5,000 year history of cultivation. Others, notbably Pierre Galet believe it is a native Swiss variety.[1]
Widely grown in the cantons of Switzerland where it has several regional synonym names, the main one being Fendant in the Valais canton. It is considered an ideal pairing for Raclette or Fondue. Chasselas is also known as Perlan in the Mandement district.
In Germany with 1,123 hectares, it is almost exclusively grown in the wine region of Baden under the name Gutedel.[2]
Chasselas is mostly vinified to be a full, dry and fruity white wine. It is also suitable as a table grape, grown widely for this purpose in Turkey. In France it is mostly grown in the Loire region where it is converted into a blend with Sauvignon Blanc called "Pouilly-sur-Loire" and in the Savoie region where it is treated in the Swiss manner. In New Zealand it is mainly made into popular sweet white wines. California and Australian growers know this variety under the alias names of Chasselas Dore or Golden Chasselas.
[edit] References
- ^ Oz Clarke, Grapes and Wines Websters International Publishers , New York (2001) p. 59
- ^ German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2007-2008
