Terret blanc

Terret blanc is a white French wine grape variety growing primarily in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. It is a mutation of the Terret vine that also spawned the dark skinned Terret noir and light-skinned Terret gris varieties.[1]

In official statistics, the plantings of two "light-berried" Terret grapes (Blanc and Gris) are often counted together. The varieties reached their peak in French wine productions in the late 1980s when together the Terret varieties were the ninth most widely planted white grape variety. In the Languedoc, plantings of Terret were equal to that of Chardonnay.[1]

Wine regions and plantings

Terret blanc is grown in the Corbières AOC where it is a permitted variety in the white blend from the region.

Terret blanc is a permitted grape variety in several Languedoc AOCs including:[2]

Varietal Terret blancs are a specialty of the commune of Sète in the Hérault department where it is used for the local vermouth and distilled for brandy.[1]

As of 2000, the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) reported that there was 3000 hectares of the light skinned Terrets, of which approximately 2,600 ha (6,400 acres) were believed to be the Terret blanc variety in particular.[3]

Synonyms

Known synonyms of Terret blanc include Bourret blanc, Tarret blanc and Terret monstre.[4]

References

  1. J. Robinson Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes pg 184 Oxford University Press 1996 ISBN 0-19-860098-4
  2. P. Saunders Wine Label Language pp. 56-60 Firefly Books 2004 ISBN 1-55297-720-X
  3. J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 693 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0-19-860990-6
  4. Terret blanc, Vitis International Variety Catalogue, Accessed: February 8th, 2011
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