Wine Ancestors
Gouais Blanc
You may not have heard of gouais blanc before, but if you're a lover of white wine, it will have influenced your wine enjoyment more than you realize. This white grape variety is the ancestor of numerous well-known wine grapes used today, so we thought we'd shed some light on this unheralded yet influential varietal.
The history of gouais blanc
Gouais blanc is known to have been around since the Middle Ages. During this time, it was grown in central and northeastern regions of France alongside pinot noir - another ancient grape varietal that, unlikely gouais blanc, has remained a prominent wine grape in its own right.
Gouais blanc was used to produce simple, acidic, white wines that were drunk by France's less wealthy population, while nobility would enjoy wines held in higher regard, such as pinot gris or pinot noir. This reputation for producing simple, low-quality wines, coupled with an increase in competition as newly developed grapes like chardonnay and riesling that produced better quality wines began being planted more widely, leading to this ancient grape's decline.
Although gouais blanc has largely died out in mainstream viticulture, it has survived in limited quantities. Today, it is grown in small amounts in France - most notably in the Loire Valley and Burgundy regions; Switzerland, where it is grown in the Valais; Germany, where it is known as Weißer Heunisch; and Slovenia, in the Lower Styria region.
Notable descendents of gouais blanc
While gouais blanc didn't stand the test of time in terms of becoming a widely-grown wine grape, its descendants certainly did. Known as the 'Casanova of grapes,' gouais blanc is thought to be a parent grape of dozens of different European grape varieties, making it one of the most important founder grapes in European viticulture. Some of the most notable grapes gouais blanc is a parent to include:
- Chardonnay - a cross between gouais blanc and pinot noir. Chardonnay is the most planted white wine grape in the world, thanks to its adaptability and ability to produce a wide variety of quality wines.
- Riesling - a highly versatile white wine grape that is produced primarily in Germany. Riesling wines can be aromatic, acidic, sweet, and complex, allowing this grape to produce wines with a diverse range of qualities.
- Gamay - another gouais blanc x pinot noir cross. Gamay produces light-bodied, fruity red wines, most notably in the Beaujolais wine region.
- Furmint - the key grape used in the production of Hungary's tokaji wine. Furmint is known for both dry and sweet, botrytized wines that can be long-lived and complex. Learn more about furmint in our blog dedicated to Hungry's most famous grape.
The list goes on. Interestingly, gouais blanc's prolificacy was only discovered in the 1990s, when genetic analysis confirmed its parentage of chardonnay and many other varieties. Before this, its role in the history of wine was largely forgotten or overlooked.
Part of gouais blanc's parental success comes from the fact it was once widely grown in close proximity to pinot grapes, which resulted in a notable amount of crossing of gouais blanc and these varieties. Gouais blanc was also genetically distinct from the varieties it crossed with, a trait that made it a strong candidate for producing hybrid grapes possessing valuable qualities. This distinctness lends to what is known as hybrid vigor - a process whereby hybrid offspring display superior growth, resilience, and adaptability than their parent grape.
While unremarkable in its own wine-making regard, gouais blanc walked so that its impressive offspring could run. Its genetic compatibility with other grape varieties - particularly pinot noir - enabled it to play a crucial role in the birth and development of many of the most acclaimed and widely-grown grape varieties we know and love today. So raise a glass to gouais blanc - there's a fair chance it had something to do with the wine you're sipping right now.
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