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  Wine explained, clearly and helpfully, including critic-recommended specimens of each variety.

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The Chasselas Grape


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About Chasselas

(Synonyms: Abelione, Abelone, Albilloidea, Alsacia blanca, Amber Chasselas, Amber Muscadine, Bar sur Aube, Bela Glera, Bela žlahtnina, Berezka Prostaya, Berioska Casla, Beyaz Gutedel, Biela Plemenika Praskava, Biela Plemincka Chrapka, Biela Plemincka Pruskawa, Blanchette, Blanquette, Bon blanc, Bordo, Bournet, Bournot, Ceasla, Charapka, Chasselas Angevin, Chasselas bianco, Chasselas Blanc Royal, Chasselas Blanchette, Chasselas Crognant, Chasselas Croquant, Chasselas de Bar-sur-Aube, Chasselas de Bordeaux, Chasselas de Florence, Chasselas de Fontainebleau, Chasselas de Jalabert, Chasselas de la Contrie, Chasselas de la Naby, Chasselas de Moissac, Chasselas de Montauban, Chasselas de Mornain, Chasselas de Pondichéry, Chasselas de Pontchartrain, Chasselas de Pouilly, Chasselas de Quercy, Chasselas de Rappelo, Chasselas de Tenerife, Chasselas de Teneriffe, Chasselas de Thomeri, Chasselas de Toulaud, Chasselas de Vaud, Chasselas di Fountanbleau, Chasselas di Thomery, Chasselas Dorada, Chasselas Dorato, Chasselas Dore, Chasselas Dore Hatif, Chasselas Dore Salomon, Chasselas du Doubs, Chasselas du Portugal, Chasselas du Roi, Chasselas du Serail, Chasselas du Thor, Chasselas Dugommier, Chasselas Dur, Chasselas Fendant, Chasselas Hatif de Tenerife, Chasselas Haute Selection, Chasselas Jalabert, Chasselas Jaune Cire, Chasselas Piros, Chasselas Plant Droit, Chasselas Queen Victoria, Chasselas Reine Victoria, Chasselas Salsa, Chasselas Tokay Angevine, Chasselas Vert de la Cote, Chasselas White, Chasselat, Chrupka, Chrupka Biela, Chrupka Bila, Common Muscadine, Danka Belaya, Dinka Belaya, Dinka blanche, Dobrorozne, Doppelte Spanische, Dorin, Doucet, Eau Douce blanche, Edelschoen, Edelwein, Edelweiss, Edelxeiss, Elsaesser, Elsasser Weiss, Fabian, Fabiantraube, Fábiánszőlő, Fehér Chasselas, Fehér Fábiánszőlő, Fehér gyöngyszőlő, Fehér ropogós, Fendant, Fendant blanc, Fendant Roux, Fendant vert, Florenci Jouana, Fondan Belyi, Franceset, Franceseta, Frauentraube, Gamet, Gelber Gutedel, Gemeiner Gutedel, Gentil blanc, Gentil vert, Golden Bordeaux, Golden Chasselas, Grossblaettrige Spanische, Grosse Spanische, Grosser Spaniger, Gruener Gutedel, Gutedel, Gutedel Weiss, Gutedel Weisser, Gyöngyszőlő, Junker, Koenigs Gutedel, Kracher, Krachgutedel, Krachmost, Lardot, Lourdot, Maisa, Marzemina bianca, Marzemina Niduca, Morlenche, Mornan blanc, Mornen, Mornen blanc, Most, Most Rebe, Moster, Pariser Gutedel, Perlan, Pinzutella, Plamenka Belyi, Plant de Toulard, Plant de Toulaud, Plemenika Praskava, Plemenka, Plemenka Bela, Plemenka Rana, Pleminka Biela, Praskava, Pruscava Biela, Queen Victoria, Queen Victoria White, Raisin D'officier, Ranka, Rebe Herrn Fuchses, Reben Herm Fuchs, Reben Herrn, Rheinrebe, Rosmarinentraube, Rosmarintraube, Royal Muscadine, Sasla, Sasla Bela, Schoenedel, Shasla Belaya, Shasla Dore, Shasla Lechebnaya, Shasla Viktoria, Silberling, Silberweiss, Silberweissling, Silberwissling, Strapak, Suessling, Suesstraube, Sweetwater, Sweetwater White, Temprano, Temprano blanco, Terravin, Tribi Vognoble, Tribiano Tedesco, Ugne, Uslechtile Bile, Valais blanc, Viala, Viviser, Waelsche, Waelscher, Weisser Gutedel, Weisser Krachgutedel, White Chasselas, White Muscadine, White Sweetwater, White Van der Laan, žlahtina, žlahtnina, žlahtnina bijela, Zlatina, župljanka. — There will be a quiz in the morning…)

Background

Map showing Switzerland

Chasselas is a cernturies-old white-wine grape originating—probably: it is by no means certain—in western Switzerland, in the region of Lake Geneva. It is now known around the world under the staggering number of synonyms listed above. Today, outside Switzerland it is fairly widely grown, but not much recommended; within Switzerland, it is still extensively grown and liked, being that wine-conscious nation’s most widely planted white-wine grape. Like many notable grapes (such as Chardonnay), Chasselas does not have much inherent aroma or nose: it is thus well suited to conveying terroir, and can generate substantially different expressions depending on just whhere it is grown.

The Swiss consume about 95% of all the Chasselas they produce. That is not uncommon with Swiss wines, and that so few of them reach the world market in any quantity is a large reason why they are still so little known and appreciated outside Switzerland. And another factor is the currency exchgange rate: big shifts in the Swiss franc versus the U.S. dollar have made most even half-way decent Swiss wines quite expensive in the U.S., which also does not help their acceptance.

The essence of Chasselas is its very lightness and neutrality. Every bottling reflects its vineyard far more than its grape (or even, within limits, the winemaking techniques used). But always, it is described as light, refreshing, and easy drinking: too easy, some say, meaning that to appreciate it, you have to be paying attention to it, else the bottle is empty before you have really formed an impression of it.

Factoid: Chasselas is one of the world’s top 30 most widely grown grapes.

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Some Descriptions of Chasselas Wines

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Some Chasselas Bottlings to Try

(About this list.)

  Wines with a critics’ consensus score of 93:
Grillos Cantores "Mi Nena" Velo de Flor Corinto   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]

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This page was last modified on Sunday, 8 December 2024, at 9:46 pm Pacific Time.