Seyval blanc | |
---|---|
Grape (Vitis) | |
![]() Seyval blanc grapes prior to veraison. | |
Color of berry skin | Blanc |
Species | French hybrid (50% Vitis vinifera; 37% Vitis rupestris; 13% Vitis licencumii ) |
Also called | SV 5276, Seyval |
Origin | France |
Notable regions | England, Wales, Canada, USA. |
Hazards | Botrytis in wet years when very ripe |
VIVC number | 11558 |
Seyval blanc (or Seyve-Villard hybrid number 5276[1]) is a hybrid wine grape variety used to make white wines. Its vines ripen early, are productive and are suited to fairly cool climates.[1] Seyval blanc is grown mainly in England,[2][3] the United States east coast (specifically the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York,[2] regions in Ohio and Virginia), in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon[4]), as well as to a lesser extent in Canada.[1] Seyval blanc was created either by Bertille Seyve, or his son-in-law Villard, as a cross of Seibel 5656 and Rayon d'Or (Seibel 4986),[5] and was used to create the hybrid grape St. Pepin. Seyve and Villard used the same Rayon d'Or x Seibel 5656 crossing to produce the red wine grape Seyval noir.[6]
Since it contains some non-vinifera genes, it is outlawed by the EU authorities for quality wine production, which was an issue of conflict with the English wine industry.[1]