🍇 Folle Blanche
A white grape from France that was once the base of Cognac and Armagnac.
Folle Blanche is a white grape from France. The name means "mad white": the variety was named for its vigorous growth and high yield. It used to be the base of cognac and armagnac.
Folle Blanche wine is very sharp and neutral, so it suited distillation well. In the 19th century the grape became the main one in the cognac vineyards, but it coped poorly with rot and pests, especially after the phylloxera invasion. Then Ugni Blanc, that is Trebbiano, replaced it. In armagnac the hybrid Baco Blanc came instead, with Folle Blanche among its parents.
Today Folle Blanche is grown in the Nantes region of the Loire Valley, where it makes the dry white wine Gros Plant. It is light, very sharp, with notes of lemon, apple and sea salt, and goes well with oysters.
Folle Blanche is related to several varieties: Baco Blanc, Merlot Blanc, Baco Noir and others. It is an example of a variety that lost wide importance but kept its niche.
Links
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ French wine
- Where it grows
- 🥃 Cognac, 🥃 Armagnac, 📍 Pays Nantais
- Main grape in
- 📜 Gros Plant du Pays Nantais
- Offspring
- 🍇 Baco Blanc, 🍇 Merlot Blanc, 🍇 Baco Noir, 🍇 Jurançon Noir, 🍇 Jurançon Blanc, 🍇 Folignan
Frequently asked questions
What is Folle Blanche?
A white French grape, once the base of cognac and armagnac, now of the dry white Gros Plant from the Nantes area.
Why was it replaced in cognac?
It coped poorly with rot and pests, and Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano) took its place.
What is Folle Blanche wine served with?
It goes well with oysters and seafood.
Similar
🍇 Meslier-Saint-François · 🍇 Montils · 🍇 Chenanson · 🍇 Baco Blanc · 🍇 Plant de Brunel · 🍇 Ségalin