Arrufiac (or Arrufiat) is a white French wine grape varietyArrufiac
Vitis International Variety Catalogue, accessed on June 26, 2010 that is primarily planted in the

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part o ...

region of South West France. It is a secondary grape in the wines from the

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Madiran wine is produced around the village of Madiran in Gascony under three '' Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées'' (AOCs): Madiran for red wines and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec for white wines. The production area for ...

''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC). J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course'' Third Edition pg 100 Abbeville Press 2003 While the grape has had a long history being blended with Petit Courbu in Gascon wines, it has only recently experienced a resurgence of interest in the late 20th century following the release of white blends from Andrė Dubosc of Producteurs Plaimont, one of the region's largest co-operative wineries, in the 1980s.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 24 Oxford University Press 1996

Wine regions

Arrufiac has had a long history of use in the wines of Gascony, particularly those from the AOC region of Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, covering the same area as Madiran (wine), Madiran, and those from the Béarn AOC in the Vic-Bilh hills. Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 38 Harcourt Books 2001 There, the grape was often blended with Petit Courbu which, along with Arrufiac's distinctive gunflint aroma (wine), aroma, gave the wines of Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh a distinctive contrast to the white wines of nearby Jurançon (AOC), Jurançon. Additionally, winemakers in Gascony have blended Arrufiac with the other grapes of Jurançon, Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng.

Wine styles

Arrufiac is used primarily as a blending wine with its body (wine), medium body and relatively low alcohol levels for a wine grown in southern France. In blends, its main contribution is in the aroma and bouquet, with wines featuring Arrufiac often marked by a distinctive gunflint note.

Synonyms

Arrufiac and its wines are known under a variety of synonyms including Ambre, Arafiat, Arrefiac, Arrefiat, Arrufiat, Arufiat, Raffiac, Raffiat, Refiat, Rouffiac Femelle, Ruffiac, Ruffiac Blanc, and Rufiat.

References

{{reflist White wine grape varieties