Seyval Blanc
A crisp, citrusy French-American white that's a backbone grape of the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and Ohio, and a favorite base for sparkling wine.
Seyval Blanc is one of the workhorse white grapes of eastern American wine country. It's a French-American hybrid bred in the 1920s by Bertille Seyve and Victor Villard. It ripens early, crops reliably and handles cold winters to about -15°F. That has made it a mainstay in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, and even in England.
What It Tastes Like
Seyval Blanc makes clean, crisp wines with lemon, green apple, grapefruit and a note of hay or fresh herbs. It's naturally fairly neutral, which makes it versatile. Bottled young and unoaked, it's a zippy, Sauvignon Blanc-like white. Aged on its lees or in oak, it gets rounder and creamier, sometimes drawing comparisons to Chablis.
Where It Grows
New York is Seyval country, especially the Finger Lakes and the Hudson River Region, where it was among the first grapes planted when the state's farm wineries got started in the 1970s. It's also widely grown in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, Indiana and Vermont.
What to Look For
- Dry, unoaked Seyval is a refreshing summer white.
- Sparkling wines, where its acidity and neutrality make a good base.
- Oaked Seyval for a fuller, Chardonnay-like style.
- White blends, where it adds freshness to more aromatic grapes like Vignoles or Cayuga White.
Where to Find Seyval Blanc
Wine regions on American Winery Guide where Seyval Blanc is grown or poured: