A Tour of Wine Grapes: Colombard

Colombard (or Colombar) Photo from Pancrat on Wikimedia Commons The name Colombard likely comes from the French word for dove, "colombe". Legend has it that the grape was so named because its white, dusty berries match the color of a dove's plumage. It is a natural cross between Chenin Blanc and Gouais Blanc. This makes it a sibling to Chardonnay and Riesling. Colombard was among the most-planted white grape varieties in France but is also found in California’s Central Valley, Texas as well as South Africa, Australia, Thailand and Israel. Before Chardonnay took over in the 1990s, Colombard (often called "French Colombard" in the U.S.) was the most planted white grape in California. Historically a "workhorse" grape in blending, it has played a major role in both distilled spirits (Brandy) and mass-market "jug wines.” For decades, it was the grape used in nearly every generic "Chablis" or "Hearty White" jug wine sold in the U.S. But, in the recent past, French wine producers have began u

by Marc Kirkpatrick · source ↗