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]

Wine styles

Seyval blanc has a characteristic citrus element in the aroma and taste, as well as a minerality that may be compared to white Burgundy.^[2] It is often oaked and subjected to a stage of malolactic fermentation.^[2]

Synonyms

Seyval blanc is known under the synonyms Seival, Seyval, Seyve Villard 5-276, Seyve Villard 5276, and SV 5276.^[5]

^[7]

References