Chasselas or Chasselas blanc is a wine grape variety grown mainly in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, France, Germany, Portugal, Hungary, Romania, New Zealand, Croatia and Chile. Chasselas is mostly

vinified The process of fermentation in winemaking turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation, yeasts transform sugars present in the juice into ethanol and carbon dioxide (as a by-product). In winemaking, the temperature and spe ...

to be a full,

dry Dry or dryness most often refers to: * Lack of rainfall, which may refer to ** Arid regions ** Drought * Dry or dry area, relating to legal prohibition of selling, serving, or imbibing alcoholic beverages * Dry humor, deadpan * Dryness (medica ...

and fruity white wine. It is also suitable as a table grape, grown widely for this purpose in Turkey and Hungary.

History

Genetic analyses made in 2009 in a laboratory of the University of Dieppe showed that Chasselas is a grape variety originating in western Switzerland.J. F. VOUILLAMOZ et C. ARNOL
Etude historico-génétique de l’origine du ‘Chasselas’ (PDF)
, Université de Neuchâtel, NCCR Plant Survival, 2009. Its name was first mentioned in the 16th century. In 1940, Chasselas was crossed with Silvaner to produce the white grape variety

Nobling Nobling is a white German wine grape variety that is a crossing between Silvaner and Chasselas. The variety was created in 1940 at the Staatliches Weinbauinstitut Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg by grape breeder Johannes-Friedrich Zimmermann.Viti ...

.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'', p. 129. Oxford University Press 1996 .

Wine regions

Chasselas is widely grown in Switzerland, where it has several regional synonym names, the main one being ''Fendant'' in the canton of Valais. It is considered an ideal pairing for raclette or

fondue Fondue (, , ) is a Swiss melted cheese dish served in a communal pot ( ''caquelon'' or fondue pot) over a portable stove () heated with a candle or spirit lamp, and eaten by dipping bread into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. It was promote ...

. Chasselas is also known as ''Perlan'' in the Mandement district of Geneva. In 2009, it was Switzerland's second-most planted grape variety at .Office fédéral de l’agriculture OFAG: Das Weinjahr 2009 / L'année d'viticole 2009
. In Germany, with , it is almost exclusively grown in the wine region of Baden under the name ''Gutedel''.German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2007-2008
. In France it is mostly grown in the Loire region, where it is blended with

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

to produce a wine called "Pouilly-sur-Loire". Californian and Australian growers know this variety under the names ''Chasselas Doré'' and ''Golden Chasselas.'' Michel Chapoutier has stated that he is looking for land for a vineyard in England, which would be planted with Chasselas. He said that he believed Chasselas would suit the English climate and terroir very well.Adam Lechmere
Chapoutier looks for English vineland
Decanter.com News, 12 May 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2022.

References

{{Authority control White wine grape varieties Table grape varieties