New varieties for Provence

 

First Bordeaux, then Beaujolais and no doubt there will be other wine regions. Now Provence is looking at new varieties to provide drought and disease-resistant grames crops in these times of climate change.

This process seems to have been going on for quite a while already. Amazingly some of these new varieties are already permitted;

Permitted

Agiorgitiko

Calabrese (Nero D'Avola)

Moschofilero

Verdejo

Xinomavro

 

The latest trials are for

Barbaroux (red)

The ever helpful Wein Plus Lexikon tells us there are about 50 synonyms for Barbaroux. They include Barbarons, Barbarossa, Grec Rosé, Grec Rouge, Gros Barbaroux, Hellroter Gänsfüßer, Merveille, Plant du Pauvre, Raisin Monstrueux, Regina Rossa, Rote Hammelshode, Roussée, Rousselet and Uva Barbarossa. We must be careful here because Grec Rouge and Rose du Var (see below) are have the synonym Barbarossa but are different varieties. 

Brun Fourca (red)

Synonyms include Brun d’Auriol, Brun de Farnous, Brun Fourcat, Brunfourka, Caula, Caula Noir, Caula Noir de Vaucluse, Farnous, Flouron, Mançonnet, Moulan, Moureau, Mourrastel Flourat, Mouzeau, Mulon und Plant de Bordeaux.

Carignan Blanc (white)

See this Blog for Rall's fabulous Carignan Blanc (South Africa).  Synonyms include Cariñena Blanca, Fehér Carignan and Karijan. Wein Plus warns us not to think Mazuelo Blanco is the same grape, Mazuelo being a Spanis synonym for Carignan of course.

Clairette Rose (white)

Listed as white, this mutation of Clairette Blanc has pink berries and the synonyms Alsacia, Blanquette de Limoux, Blanquette Rose, Clairette Rouge, Kleret Rozov, Picapoll Rosa, Piros Clairette und Piros Kleret.

The synonym Blanquette de Limoux is confusing because the AOC sparkling wine is named Blanquette de Limoux and the grape (at least 90%) is just Blanquette,  So the synonym for Clairette Rose called Blanquette de Limoux refers only to the later and not to the wine called Blanquette de Limoux. At least that is what we have understood. It may not be important but do let us know if this is wrong.

Colombaud (white)

Not to be confused with Colombard).

Synonyms; Aubié, Aubier, Aubier Franc Blanc, Blanquette de Lavilledieu, Bouteillan, Bouteillan Blanc, Brachet, Colombeau, Couloumbaou, Couloumbat Blanc, Coumbeau and Colombaud du Var. 

Counoise (red)

Well known grape of Chateauneuf du Pape and found surprisingly frequently in California.

Aubon, Caula, Conese, Coneze, Connoges, Connoise, Counèse, Counoïse, Counoïso, Counoueiso, Damas Noir, Grosse Rogettaz, Guénoise, Moustardier, Quenoise, Ribier, Rivier, Riviere.

Grenache Blanc (white)

Needs no introduction other than to say what a great grape this is!

Garnacha Blanca, Rool Grenache, Silla Blanc, Sillina Lanc, Alicant Belyi, Gkrenas Mplan, Grenash Beli, Grenash Belyi, Grenash Bjal, Belan, Belon, Alicante Blanca, Bernacha Blanca, Garnacha, Garnacho Blanco, Garnatxa, Garnatxa Blanca, Lladanor Blanco, Sillina Lanc and Fehér Grenache.

Grenache Gris (white)

Grey Grenache, Garnacha Roja, Grenache Rouge, Rosco dos Pinheiro, Garnacha Dorada, Garnacha Gris, Garnacha Rioja, Garnacha Roya, Garnacho Rojo, Garnatxa Gris, Garnatxa Roja, Piros Grenache and Szürke Grenache.

Mavrud (red)

Kachivela, Kacivela, Kativela, Marvud, Mawrud, Svinarska Loza, Svinjarska Loza, Tsiganka, Karvouniaris, Mavro, Mavroude, Mavroudi, Mavroudi Boulgarias, Mavroudion, Mavroudi Voulgarias  and Mavroud.

Mourvaison (red)

Marvaison, Mouenc, Mourvedoum, Mourvedoun, Mourveson, Mourvesoum, Mourvezon, Negrau, Négrette und Raisin des Maures. However we are warned not to confuse Mouvaison with the Negrette of Fonton.

Mourvedre Blanc (white)

This is an obscure one. Presumably a colour mutation of the well known red grape Mourvedre. No one has anything on Mourvedre Blanc. There is a white colour mutation of Mourvedre used in Cognac with the name Balzac Blanc which may show that a white colour mutation of Mourvedre is a thing.

Mourvedre Gris (white)

Even more obscure than Mourvedre Blanc. Wein Lexikon suggests this originates from Spain. That's about it.

Pinotage (red)

Signature grape of South Africa. A crossing of Pinot Noir and Hermitage, aka Cinsault.  The latter is also known as Perold's Hermitage. 

 

Abraham Isaak Perold obtained the variety in 1926. He also brought cuttings of 177 existing foreign varieties to South Africa and was active in the foundation of the KWV co-operative (Kooperatiewe Wijnbowers Vereniging van Zuid Afrika).

Plant Droit (red)

Cinsaut Droit, Cinsault Droit, Espanenc, Plant Dressé and Garnacha Francesa.

Rousseli (Rose du Var)

Barbaroux, Grec Rose und Roussanne du Var. 

An existing grape used in the Var (Provence) for Rose wines. Plantings are down from 1,600 ha (end of 1960s) to 54 ha (2016). It is also used as a table grape.

Tempranillo (red)

Needs no introduction. Synonyms are manifold;

Malvasia Nera (huh? That we didn't know), Malvasia Nera di Lecce, Negretto, Santo Stefano, Valdepeñas, Aragón, Aragones, Aragonez, Aragonez da Ferra, Aragonez de Elvas, Arinto Tinto, Olho de Lebre, Roriz, Tinta Aragonez, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Santiago, Albillo Negro, Aldepenas, Arauxa, Arganda, Botón de Gallo, Castellana, Cencibal, Cencibel, Cencibera, Chinchillana, Chinchillano, Chinchilyano, Cupani, De Por Aca, Escobera, Grenache de Logrono, Jacibera, Jacibiera, Jacivera, Negra, Negra de Madrid, Negra de Mesa, Ojo de Liebre, Piñuela, Sensibel, Tempranilla, Tempranillo de la Rioja, Tempranillo de Perralta, Tempranillo de Rioja, Tempranillo de Rioza, Tempranillo Rioja, Tempranillo Tinta, Tempranillo Tinto, Tinta de Nava, Tinta del País, Tinta del Toro, Tinta do Inacio, Tinta do País, Tinta Fina, Tinta Madrid, Tinto Aragónez, Tinto Basto, Tinto de Madrid, Tinto del País, Tinto Fino, Tinto Madrid, Tinto País, Tinto Ribiera, Ull de Llebre, Verdiell, Vid de Aranda Jacibiera, Jacivera and wierdly Garnacho Foño in Argentina and Chile.

Teoulier (red)

Grand Téoulier, Gros Téoulier, Manosquen, Manosquin, Petit Téoulier, Plant de Manosque, Plant Dufour, Teinturier Téoulier, Téoulier, Thuillier, Thuillier Noir und Trouillere

Touriga Nacional (red)

Could be called the signature grape of Portugal. There are surprisingly few synonyms, especially in comparison with Tempranillo;

Azal Espanhol, Bical, Bical Tinto, Mortagua, Mortagua Preto, Touriga, Touriga Fina, Tourigo, Tourigo Antiguo, Tourigo do Dão, Touriga National, Carabuñera.

Zinfandel (red)

Signature grape of California of course.

Crljenak Kastelanski and Tribidrag are the original Croatian names for this variety - a fact we now know thanks to the work of Dr. Carole Meredith and John Bowersat the University of California at Davis between 1994 and 2011. It is also known as Primitivo in Puglia as everyone knows.

As can be imagined, many of these are obscure local varieties.

All this is nothing if not adventurous. Go Provence!