Gouais blanc

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Gouais Blanc
Species: Vitis vinifera
Also called: Heunisch, Heunisch Weiss (more)
Origin: Croatia
Notable regions: formerly Germany and northern France
Notable wines: None, nearly extinct

Gouais blanc is a white grape variety that is seldom grown but is important as the ancestor of many French and German wine varieties. It is believed to originate in Croatia; in Central Europe it is known as Heunisch Weiss. The name Gouais derives from the old French adjective ‘gou’, a term of derision befitting its traditional status as the grape of the peasants.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

Gouais blanc may have been the grape given to the Gauls by Probus (Roman Emperor 276–282), who was from Pannonia and overturned Domitian's decree banning grape growing north of the Alps.[2] By the Middle Ages it was the most widely grown white grape in northeast France and in Central Europe. Gouais blanc was the grape of the peasantry, growing on the flat land next to the better slopes where the nobility grew Pinot.

Gouais blanc was also grown in the Jura, but phylloxera wiped out the variety in France, and it now survives only in the INRA collection at Domaine de Vassal, Montpellier.[2]

[edit] Crosses

Having been widely grown in proximity to Pinot, the two varieties had many opportunities to cross. And having such distant origins, those crosses showed hybrid vigour and were widely propagated. This unique combination of events means that many grape varieties today have Gouais blanc as a parent, the most famous of which is Chardonnay.

DNA fingerprinting research at the University of California, Davis has also identified Gouais blanc as an ancestor of the Aligoté, Aubin Vert, Auxerrois, Bachet noir, Beaunoir, Franc Noir de la-Haute-Saône, Gamay Blanc Gloriod, Gamay noir, Melon, Knipperlé, Peurion, Roublot, and Sacy grape varieties. [3] Dameron is another result of the same cross, whereas a cross with Pinot fin teinturier produced Romorantin.[4]

It produced Petit Meslier and Aubin when pollinated by Traminer/Savagnin, and Riesling and Elbling when pollinated by a cross of a wild grape with Traminer.[4]

When pollinated by Chenin Blanc it produced Colombard, Balzac blanc and Meslier Saint François, and with Bastardo (Tressot) it produced Genouillet.[4]

[edit] Distribution and Wines

As mentioned above, Gouais Blanc now survives only as a museum curiosity. Since the Middle Ages there have been regular attempts to ban the peasants' grape from the soils of France, which probably says something about its winemaking qualities.[1] Gouais Blanc continues to be commercially grown at several vineyard in Switzerland. See www.chanton.ch for one location.

[edit] Vine and Viticulture

On the other hand the bans failed, which says something about how easy it is to grow.

[edit] Synonyms

Absenger, Bauernweinbeer, Bauernweinbeere Weiss, Bauernweintraube, Belina, Belina Debela, Belina Drobna, Best's N°4, Blanc De Serres, Boarde, Bogatyur, Bon Blanc, Bordenauer, Borzenauer, Bouillan, Bouillaud, Bouilleaud, Bouillen, Bouillenc, Bourgeois, Bourguignon, Branestraube, Branne, Burgegger Weiss, Burger, Cagnas, Cagnou, Champagner Langstielig, Colle, Coulis, Dickweisser, Dickwiss, Enfarine Blanc, Esslinger, Figuier, Foirard Blanc, Foirard Blanc, Frankenthaler, Gau, Gauche Blanc, Geuche Blanc, Goe, Goet, Gohet, Goi, Goin, Goix, Got, Gouai, Gouais Blanc, Gouais Jaune, Gouais Long, Gouais Rond, Gouas, Gouaulx, Gouay, Gouche, Gouche, Gouche Blanche, Goue, Gouest, Gouest Sauge, Gouet Blanc, Gouette, Gouge, Gouget Blanc, Gouillaud, Gouis De Mardeuil, Gousse, Grauhuensch, Grobe, Grobes, Grobheunisch, Grobweine, Grobweisse, Gros Blanc, Grünling, Guay Jaune, Gueche Blanc, Guest Salviatum, Gueuche Blanc, Guillan, Guinlan, Guy, Guy Blanc, Gwaess, Harthuensch, Hartuensch, Heinisch, Heinish, Heinsch, Heinschen Weiss, Hennische Weiss, Hensch, Heunisch Blanc, Heunisch Weisser, Heunischtraube, Heunish Weiss, Heunsch, Heunscher, Heunschler, Heunschlir, Hinschen, Hinschene, Hintsch, Huensch, Huenschene, Huentsch, Hunnentraube, Hunsch, Hunschrebe, Huntsch, Hyntsch, Issal, Issol, Kleinbeer, Kleinberger, Laxiertraube, Lombard Blanc, Luxiertraube, Mehlweisse, Mehlweisse Gruen, Mendic, Moreau Blanc, Mouillet, Nargouet, Pendrillart Blanc, Petit Gouge, Pichons, Plant De Sechex, Plant Madame, Plant Seche, President, Regalaboue, Riesling Grob, Rous Hette, Roussaou Blanc, Rudeca Belina, Saboule Boey, Sadoule Boey, Sadoulo Bouyer, Seestock Grob, Stajerska Belina, Tejer Szozeloe, Thalburger, Trompe Bouvier, Trompe Valet, Verdet, Verdin Blanc, Vionnier, Weisse Traube, Weisser Heunisch, Weissgrobe, Weissheinsch, Weissstock, Weisstock, Wippacher, Zoeld Hajnos [4]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ a b Meredith, Carole. The Origin of Chardonnay. University of Burgundy. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
  2. ^ a b Lecture by Carole Meredith on the origins of grape varieties
  3. ^ Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 112 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  4. ^ a b c d Maul, Erika; Töpfer, Reinhard; Eibach, Rudolf (2007). Vitis International Variety Catalogue. Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof (IRZ), Siebeldingen, Germany. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

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