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Chasselas

The white grape variety possibly originates from France or from French-speaking Switzerland. Around 250 synonyms (60 of which include the name part Chasselas) attest to its great age and worldwide distribution. The most important ones, grouped alphabetically by country, are Queen Victoria White, Sweetwater White (Australia); Edelwein, Bassitraube, Elsässer, Frauentraube, GutedelKrachgutedel, Krachlampe, Krachmost, Markgräfler, Rheinrebe, Schönedel, Silberling, Süßling, Viviser, Weißer Gutedel, Weißer Krachgutedel (Germany); Queen Victoria, Queen Victoria White (England); Bar-sur-Aube, Bar-sur-Aube Blanc, Bon Blanc, Chasselas Blanchette, Chasselas Blanc Royal, Chasselas de Barde Montauban, Chasselas de Thomery, Lardat, Lardeau, Lardot, Lausannois, Mornant, Mornant Blanc, Mornen Blanc, Pinzutella, Raisin d'Officier, Rougeasse, Royal Muscadine, Valais Blanc (France); Chasselas Bianco, Chasselas Dorato (Italy); Plemenka, Plemenka Bijela, Praskava (Croatia); Gutedel, Junker, Moster, Silberling, Silberweiß, Silberweißling, Silberwisli, Silberwissling (Austria); Sasla (Romania); Blanchette, Bois Rouge, Chasselas Blanc, Chasselas Doré, Chasselas Fendant, Chasselas Giclet, Chasselas Jaune Cire, Chasselas Plant Droit, Chasselat, Dorin, Fendant, Fendant Blanc, Perlan, Wälsche (Switzerland); Chrupka, Chrupka Biela, Chrupka Červená, Chrupka Fialová, Chrupka Petržlenová, Chrupka Muškátová, Chrupka Ružová, Chrupka Ušľachtilá(Slovakia); Bela Žlahtnina, Žlahtnina Bijela (Slovenia); Chasselas Dorada, Elba Toro, Franceseta, Temprana Agostena, Temprana Tardía, Tempranillo de Nav, Temprano (Spain); Chrupka, Chrupka Bílá, Chrupka Červená, Chrupka Petrželová(Czech Republic); Shasla Belaya (Ukraine); Chasselas Piros, Fabianszölö, Fehér Chasselas, Fehér Fabianszölö, Saszla (Hungary); Amber Chasselas, Chasselas Doré, Golden Bordeaux (USA).

Chasselas - Weintraube und Blatt

Ancestry

It must not be confused with the varieties Albillo Mayor, Barbarossa, Admirable de Courtiller (Chasselas de Courtiller), Chasselas de Pondichery, Fayoumi, Madeleine Royale, Marzemina Bianca, Palomino (Golden Chasselas), Priknadi or Žlahtina, despite seemingly indicating synonyms or morphological similarities. According to DNA analyses carried out in 2009, a parent-offspring relationship is said to exist with the variety Mornen Noir (ex Wine Grapes). According to the VIVC catalogue, however, the exact parentage is unknown. The grapevine is considered a leading variety in the European gene pool. It is a parent of the varieties Bronnertraube, Muscat Gris de la Calmette, Plant de Séchex, Plant de Vincelles and Sainte Marie, which were created by presumably natural crossings. There are many somatic and flavour mutations. These are Chasselas Cioutat (Parsley Chasselas), Chasselas Croquant, Chasselas Musqué (Muscat Chasselas), Chasselas Rose (Red Chasselas), Chasselas Rouge (Red Gutedel) and Chasselas Violet (Royal Chasselas). A white grape variety called Chasselas Sabor originates from Portugal; nothing is known about possible genetic relationships of this variety.

Chasselas - Trauben von Chasselas Cioutat, Chasselas Croquant, Chasselas Musqué, Chasselas Rose, Chasselas Rouge

Offspring through new breeding

Because of its good qualities, it was a popular crossing partner for many new varieties. These included the varieties Angelo Pirovano, Autuchon, Baco Chasselas, Black Prince, Blanc d'Ambre, Challenge, Charmont, Chasselas des Bouches-du-Rhône, Corneille, Danlas, Doral, Favorit, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Gutenborner, Gutknipperlé, Hecker, Hector, Herbemont, Ithaca, Johanniter, Jo Rizling, Kossuth Ferenc, Lindley, Mathiász Jánosne, Megrabuir, Menoir, Milleniumtraube, Muskat-Ottonel, Narancsizü, Nobling, Rabaner, Revolta, Rouge de Diolly, Schönburger and Triumph.

Origin

Chasselas is most probably one of the oldest cultivated grape varieties. According to one hypothesis, an ancestor was cultivated as early as 6,000 B.C. in the Jordan Valley in what is now Israel and Jordan, and was supposedly known in Egypt 5,000 years ago. It is even said to have been recognised in wall paintings in royal tombs near Luxor, but of course such a thing has no probative value whatsoever. The ampelographer Adrien Berget also suspected an Egyptian origin. An old vine called "Chasselas" allegedly grew in the garden of the Coptic grammar school in Cairo. It came from the oasis of Al-Fayoum, where Greek colonists are said to have introduced viticulture at the time of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC). Today, there is a town here in the centre of the Fayoum basin of the same name. According to another hypothesis, the variety is supposed to be identical with the Aminea mentioned by Pliny the Elder (23-79) or at least a descendant.

In 2009, the Swiss biologist Dr. José Vouillamoz conducted DNA analyses with his colleague Dr. Claire Arnold from the University of Neuchâtel and came to a completely different conclusion. In his opinion, the variety does not originate from the Orient, but from the Swiss canton of Vaud on Lake Geneva. Many varieties of the vine are found here. He refers to the Russian botanist Nikolai I. Vavilov (1887-1943), for whom this is a very important indication for determining an origin. The German botanist Hieronymus Bock (1498-1554) mentions the names Kleinfränkische, Großfränkische, Edel and Lautterdrauben in his "Kreütter Buch" in 1539. There is a historical background to the Baden name "Gutedel". Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm I of Baden (1677-1707) had been friends with Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), who served the Habsburg Empire, since the Turkish Wars. During his visits to Savoy, the wine-loving Margrave is said to have particularly appreciated the Prince's tangy, palatable white wine, which was made from the Chasselas grape and is called Fendant there (to this day). Prince Eugene sent him Chasselas seedlings to Baden, which the margrave had planted in his margraviate. The white wine was found to be "good" and "noble", which eventually gave rise to the name.

The Swiss name "Fendant" (splitting) derives from the fact that the unusually hard skins mean that the berries do not burst but split when pressed together between the index finger and thumb. The name was first used by the botanist Johannes Bauhin (1541-1613) in his posthumously published work "Historia Plantarum Universalis" in 1650. The French name "Chasselas" was first mentioned in 1654 by Nicolas de Bonnefons (servant of King Louis XIV) in his cookbook "Les délices de la campagne". The name Chasselas is most likely derived from the commune of the same name near the town of Mâcon in Burgundy, France, from where the vine probably spread throughout France (but therefore does not necessarily originate there).

Properties

This early-maturing, high-yielding vine is susceptible to small berry (Millerandage), chlorosis, esca and black spot disease (Phomopsis). It yields low-acid, low-alcohol, yellow-green wines with an almond aroma that are usually enjoyed young. A special characteristic of the variety is that only a certain maximum amount of sugar is formed during the ripening period - regardless of when the grapes are harvested. Even if the grapes are harvested late, no more sugar is formed. The result is rather low-alcohol wines with a maximum of about 12% alcohol by volume.

Cultivation quantities

Above all in Switzerland, however, very good qualities are also pressed under the origin-protected name Fendant. Here, with 3,838 hectares, it occupies about one third of the vineyard area. The German Grand Duke Karl-Friedrich (1728-1811) got to know the vine in Vevey (Switzerland) and brought it to Baden in 1780. It is still mainly found in this growing region today and occupies a total of 1,121 hectares of vineyards in Germany. There are no known stocks in Austria.

Other cultivated areas in Europe are in France (541 ha and 81 ha), Italy (11 ha), Croatia, Moldavia (329 ha and 3 ha), Portugal (72 ha and 7 ha), Russia (21 ha), Serbia, Spain (24 ha) and Hungary (1,159 ha). Overseas, there are cultivated areas in Brazil, Chile (197 ha), Canada (11 ha) and New Zealand. In 2016, a total of 7,377 hectares of vineyards were reported, with an extremely downward trend. The stocks of the Chasselas Rouge variety are listed as the second value for the countries in question; this totals 90 hectares. Chasselas is ranked 93rd in the grape variety ranking (Kym Anderson).

Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012.
Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)

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Dr. Christa Hanten

For my many years of work as an editor with a wine and culinary focus, I always like to inform myself about special questions at Wine lexicon. Spontaneous reading and following links often leads to exciting discoveries in the wide world of wine.

Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien

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