Frontenac Blanc
The white-skinned member of the Frontenac family, with citrus and stone fruit and the same tolerance for deep-freeze winters. It's newer and rarer than Frontenac Gris.
Frontenac Blanc is the third and newest member of the Frontenac family: a fully white-skinned mutation of Frontenac Gris, which itself mutated from the red Frontenac. It was first spotted in a vineyard in Québec and has spread slowly through cold-climate wine country since. It's still uncommon enough that finding it on a menu is a small treat.
What It Tastes Like
Compared with Frontenac Gris, Frontenac Blanc is less tropical and more citrusy. Expect lemon, grapefruit, green apple and white peach, with high natural acidity. It suits drier styles a bit better than its gray sibling, though many wineries still leave a touch of sweetness in to round out that acid.
Where It Grows
Plantings are scattered across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Vermont and northern New York, plus Québec, where it was found. Because it's new, a lot of Frontenac Blanc goes into blends. Single-variety bottlings tend to come from small, curious producers.
What to Look For
- Dry or barely off-dry bottlings show the grape's crisp, citrusy side.
- Sparkling wines make good use of the acidity.
- White blends with La Crescent or Itasca are common.
Like the rest of its family, it survives winters down to about -35°F. That makes it one of the few crisp, dry-leaning white wine grapes that can grow almost anywhere in the northern U.S.
Where to Find Frontenac Blanc
Wine regions on American Winery Guide where Frontenac Blanc is grown or poured: