The red grape variety originates from France. Synonyms grouped alhabetically by country are Arrivet, Cannut de Lauzun, Chalosse Noire, Charge-Fort, Dame Noire, Dégoûtant, Enrageade, Enrageat Noir, Enrageat Rouge, Folle Noire, Folle Rouge, Gamay Goutot, Giranson, Gouni, Grand Noir, Gros Grapput, Jalosse, Jurançon Rouge, Luxuriant, Nanot, Petit Noir, Piquepout Rouge, Plant Quillat, Quillard, Quillard Rouge, Quillat, Sans Pareil Précoce (France); Fola Belcha (Spain); Vidiella (Uruguay). It should not be confused with the varieties Calitor Noir or Fuella Nera, despite seemingly suggestive synonyms or morphological similarities. According to DNA analyses carried out in 2009, it is probably a natural cross between Folle Blanche x Cot (Malbec). It was a crossing partner of the three new varieties Chenanson, Ganson and Segalin. The variety was first mentioned in 1839 in the Lot-et-Garonne département.
The medium-maturing, high-yielding variety is susceptible to botrytis. It yields light-coloured red wines with moderate alcohol content and violet aroma, which are more suitable for rosé wines. The vine is permitted in south-western France in the appellations Vins d'Entraygues et du Fel and Vins d'Estaing, but not in the wines of Jurançon. It occupied over 12,000 hectares of vines in the late 1950s; however, the stock had shrunk to 605 hectares by 2016, with a continuing downward trend. It was introduced to Uruguay by the Frenchman Francisco Vidiella in the 1870s and named after him. However, the initially successful variety is no longer important here (statistics Kym Anderson).
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012.
Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)
