Grape Variety: Chasselas

Colour: White

SECOND YORKSHIREMAN:
Nothing like a good glass of Château de Chasselas, eh, Josiah?
THIRD YORKSHIREMAN:
You’re right there, Obadiah.

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 Egypt with a 5,000 year history of cultivation. Others, notably Pierre Galet believe it is a native Swiss variety.

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.  It is a dry, acidic and clean-tasting wine, with an extremely floral nose and a fresh, even sparkling, attack in the mouth.

In Germany it is almost exclusively grown in the wine region of Baden under the name Gutedel.

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. There are a few examples also from Alsace. Pierre Frick, notably, vinifies a Chasselas without sulphur.