Aligoté is a white grape used to make dry white wines, especially in the Burgundy region of France where it was first recorded in the 18th century.winepros.com.au. Since it is tolerant to cold, this variety is also cultivated in Eastern European countries. In 2004, it was the 22nd most planted vine variety in the world at 45,000 hectares (110,000 acres).

Description

Aligoté is used to produce a varietal white wine, and is sometimes included in the blend of Burgundian sparkling wine known as Crémant de Bourgogne. The varietal

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the ingredients of a food or beverage originated, most often used for the origin of wine grapes. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, s ...

Bourgogne Aligoté AOC is made exclusively from Aligoté grapes. Traditionally, the cocktail '' kir'' (also known as ''vin blanc cassis'' in French) is made by adding cassis to an Aligoté wine. In blends, Aligoté adds acidity and structure to other varieties.Aligote a high acid white wine variety
/ref> It is often blended with Sacy for this purpose.J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' pg 232 Mitchell Beazley 1986 The grape ripens early with moderate yields and produces wines high in acidity that can be drunk young. Its aroma includes elements of apples and lemons. Clive Coates says it is a variety of secondary importance in Burgundy which produces a light, primeur-style wine with slightly herbal flavour and rather higher acidity than the Chardonnay.C.Coates ''Encyclopedia of the Wines and Domaines of France'' pg 32 Cassel & Co 2000 The village of Bouzeron is considered to represent the region's finest examples of the variety with the appellation Bouzeron-Aligoté AOC restricting the yields to 45 hl/ ha compared to the Bourgogne Aligoté AOC limited to 60 hl/ha.

Regional production

The grape is the second most popular white grape variety grown in Burgundy after Chardonnay, though it lies a long way behind in terms of planted area, with against . The vines were once inter-planted and field blended with Chardonnay for the benefit of added acidity but the vines have long since been separated.Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 35 Harcourt Books 2001 Aligoté often loses territory to more prestigious grape varieties and in some areas is relegated to less productive vineyard sections at the tops and bottoms of the slopes. In Burgundy the grape can be found along the fringe edges of the Côte-d'Or along Route Nationale 74, as well as in Mâconnais and Côte Chalonnaise.J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' pg 179 Mitchell Beazley 1986 There are also small plantings just east of the Rhone Valley around the city Die and in the commune of Pierrevert in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. It has its own AOC's, Bourgogne Aligoté and Bouzeron. Aligoté is also produced in Eastern European countries, including

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and Moldova. In Bulgaria, the grape is prized for its blending qualities and high acid; the quantity of Aligoté planted in Bulgaria is more than twice that in the grape's ancestral home of Burgundy. The grape is primarily found in the Stara Zagora Province around Chirpan. In

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, it is used to make sparkling wines with varietal wines being made along the coast of the Black Sea around Gelendzhik.C. Fallis ''The Encyclopedic Atlas of Wine'' pg 380 Global Book Publishing 2004 Globally, Aligoté can be found in smaller plantings. It has been produced, though in very small quantity, by Australian wineries. In the United States, the wine is grown in Washington State, since it is resistant to the cold weather, and in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where it is used mostly for blending. There have also been small, experimental plantings in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. In Canada, the grape is grown in Niagara by Chateau de Charmes.

Origins

DNA fingerprinting has found Aligoté to be a crossing of Pinot noir and Gouais blanc, an ancestry consistent with an origin in Burgundy or nearby areas of eastern France.Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 112 Harcourt Books 2001 Vitis International Variety Catalogue: Aligote
, accessed on June 18, 2008

Synonyms

Synonyms for Aligoté include Aligotay, Alligotay, Alligoté, Blanc de Troyes, Carcairone blanc, Carcarone, Carchierone, Chaudenet, Chaudenet Gras, Giboudot blanc, Griset blanc, Karkarone Blank, Melon de Jura, Muhranuli, Mukhranudi, Pistone, Plant de Trois, Plant de Trois Raisins, Plant gris, Purion blanc, Selon Molon, Selon Odart, Troyen blanc, Vert blanc.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aligote White wine grape varieties