A Tour of Wine Grapes: Roussanne

Roussanne 🥂 Photo by Carlos the Great on Wikimedia Commons Roussanne ( rooh-sahn ) is native to the Rhône Valley in Southern France. Experts first wrote about it in the late 1700s in the Hermitage region. Today, it is still a major grape in famous French wines like Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Hermitage, where winemakers often blend it with Marsanne to balance its flavors. Outside of France, Roussanne has found a popular second home in California, particularly along the Central Coast. Winemakers also grow smaller amounts of this grape in Washington State, Australia, and Tuscany, Italy. The grape gets its name from "roussille," which is the French word for the reddish-gold or russet color the berries turn right before they are harvested. Wines made from Roussanne are famous for their intense and unique smells. When you take a sip, you will often smell herbal tea, wildflowers, pears, and white peaches. As the wine ages, it starts to smell like nutty almond paste and warm honey. On the palate

by Marc Kirkpatrick · source ↗