It is often said, even by some wine connoisseurs, that Switzerland is the only place in the world where the Chasselas grape is used to make wine. This could not be further from the truth. What is true is that no other country is so associated with Chasselas wine. A few decades ago in the top three Swiss wine-producing cantons it was virtually the only white produced in Vaud and Geneva and a leading variety in Valais. Chasselas is known as Fendant in Valais and Chasselas elsewhere; the name Perlan, formerly used to designate it in the Mandement area of Geneva, is no longer in use. It is found in other winemaking regions like Neuchâtel and Jura, but less frequently in the Swiss-German part of the country although it's by no means unheard of: the Nussbaumer estate in Aesch (Baselland), for example, makes a Chasselas wine under the name of Chrachmost.
In France, there is Chasselas wine in Ain (where it is known as Mornen Blanc), Savoy (called Bon Blanc or e.g. Crépy or Ripaille after specific areas) and Alsace. In the Upper Loire region, Chasselas is used to make a wine called Pouilly-sur-Loire. Some winemakers, like those of Chasselas de Moissac (Département Tarn-et-Garonne), have turned their production into a niche highlight. Wine is also made from this grape in the Baden region of Germany, where it is called Gutedel or Weisser Gutedel.
Just some of the other European countries where Chasselas grapes are grown include Belgium, Croatia, Italy, and Portugal. Romania and Hungary each devote more hectares to Chasselas vineyards than Switzerland does, but the crops are used mostly as table grapes. This grape is found in North Africa, New Zealand, Australia (where it is called Chasselas Dore) and Chile. The El Mogor winery, Valle de Guadalupe, in Baja, Mexico, features Chasselas wine, as do many California wineries in the US although it may be known by other names. Chasselas is vinified in Canada, as well – the owners of the Quails' Gate Estate Winery in Kelowna, British Columbia, introduced the variety there in 1961, and produce a Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and (50%) Chasselas blend. The St. Hubertus and Oak Bay Estate Winery in Kelowna also vinifies Chasselas.
Where Does Chasselas Originate?
In what is an often-debated question for which no conclusive evidence exists, some say Chasselas originated in what is now Turkey where it is said to be still widely grown as a table grape. The Wikipedia article ‘’List of Grape Varieties’’ states categorically that Chasselas is ‘’the oldest known grape variety’’, and indeed there are some theories that it was grown by the Egyptians. Another school of thought has it that the grape is actually native to Switzerland.
A Swiss winery in Valais has a good discussion (which has the virtue of also being in English) of the issue on their website. To get an idea of the number of synonyms there are for the Chasselas Blanc grape, check out the Vitis International Variety Catalogue, which lists some 200! Helpful for getting a feel for which countries Chasselas is grown in is the International List of Vine Varieties and Their Synonyms published by the Paris-based International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) in May 2009 although other available data suggests the list is not complete.
This issue of origin, the different names the grape has acquired, and the highly changeable characteristics of the wine depending on where the grapes are grown, are just some of the areas that could acquire welcome elucidation if plans currently in the first stages of development in Vaud and Valais to hold a world Chasselas wine tasting competition come to fruition. Presumably a spotlight on Chasselas would encourage research and hopefully make the results not only widely available but in one place preferably a website.
Characteristics Of Chasselas Wine
Generally, Chasselas wine is a pale to light straw yellow color. The taste sometimes has quite a mineral character, can have floral or fruity notes, but retains a crisp light feel with the occasional little bubble or two (hence a former name for it, Perlan, in reference to pearl). Chasselas is anything but a heavy ’intoxicating’ wine, so it is well-suited as an aperitif, and its tartness makes it a good balance for cheese dishes like fondue or raclette.
In Switzerland, it is the wine of preference to accompany freshwater fish like the perch fillets with potatoes that are a favorite dish in Vaud and Geneva which border on Lac Léman (Lake Geneva). The wine is served cool, generally at 10-12 °C (50 to 53.5°F) but sometimes closer to the 7-9°C (44.5-48 °F) range.
Because it is a wine that is usually drunk within a year of harvest but can keep perhaps two to four years, the new trend in Switzerland to age Chasselas wine of the best vintages and makes comes as a surprise to many. However, vertical wine tastings of vintages as old as 30 or more years like those conducted by Domaine des Curiades in Geneva or Château de Vinzel in Vaud, among others, have shown that with age the finest Chasselas wines gain not only in color (which becomes a lot richer) but also in complexity. To drink a Chasselas Grand Cru Yvorne AOC 1998 from Château Maison Blanche in Vaud, for example, with well-aged Alp cheese is a supremely memorable gastronomic treat.
Readers interested in Swiss wines may also wish to read Switzerland's Wines, Grain Noble ConfidenCiel Sweet Wines and The Real Vin Du Glacier.
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