This red grape variety comes from the border region Italy/Switzerland. It is named after a place called Eyholz. Synonyms are Eyholzer Rote, Eyholzer Roter, Gross Roth, Grossroter and Hibou Rouge. It must not be confused with the varieties Avanà (Hibou Noir), Gamay or Troyen (Gamay de Rolampont), despite seemingly suggestive synonyms or morphological similarities. The parentage could not be clarified by DNA analyses carried out in 2011, but family relations to Vien de Nus from the neighbouring Aosta Valley and Freisa from Piedmont were found. In Switzerland, Eyholzer is counted among the grape variety group Alte Gewächse. The late-ripening vine produces an acidic white wine with aromas of strawberries. It is traditionally grown on pergolas near the municipality of Visp in the Swiss canton of Valais. A vine at least 150 to 250 years old was found in 2011 in the Valais town of Sion (Sitten). In 2016, a tiny vine area of only 0.2 hectares was reported (Kym Anderson statistics).
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012
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Markus J. Eser
Weinakademiker und Herausgeber „Der Weinkalender“