Aligoté
Encyclopedia
Aligoté is a white grape
used to make dry white wine
s in the Burgundy
region of France
, and which also has significant plantings in much of Eastern Europe
including Romania
, Russia
, Ukraine, Moldova
and Bulgaria
. With 45000 hectares (111,197.3 acre), it was the 22nd most planted vine variety in the world in 2004. The wine was first recorded in Burgundy in the 18th century.
appellation
Bourgogne Aligoté AOC
up to 15% Chardonnay grapes may be blended in. Traditionally, the cocktail kir (also known as vin blanc cassis in French) is made by adding cassis to an Aligoté white wine.
In Burgundy, where it often loses land to more prestigious grape varieties, Aligoté is often planted only in the poorer vineyard sites at the tops and bottoms of the slopes. This variety is more tolerant to the cold. 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 very much of secondary importance in Burgundy which produces a light, primeur-style wine with slightly herbal flavour and rather higher acidity than the Chardonnay. The village of Bouzeron
which 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.
Aligoté adds acidity and structure to other varieties when blended. The grape is often blended with Sacy
to complement its acidity.
, though it lies a long way behind in terms of planted area, with 1700 hectares (4,200.8 acre) against 12800 hectares (31,629.5 acre). The vines were once inter-planted and field blended with Chardonnay for the benefit of its added acidity but the vines have long since been separated. In Burgundy the grape can be found along the fringe edges of the Côte-d'Or
along Route Nationale 74
. It can also be found in Mâconnais
and Côte Chalonnaise
. 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 Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. It has its own AOC
, Bourgogne Aligoté. Aligoté is also produced in Eastern Europe, Ukraine
, Bulgaria
, Romania
and Moldova
. In Bulgaria, the grape is prized for its blending qualities and high acid with more than double the quantity planted here than in the grape's ancestral home of Burgundy. The grape is primarily found in the Stara Zagora Province
around Chirpan
. In Russia
it is used to make sparkling wines with varietal
wines being made along the coast of the Black Sea
around Gelendzhik
. Aligoté has also been produced, although in very small quantity, by Australian wineries. The wine is also grown in Washington State where it is resistant to the cold weather. The grape is also used in California
, mostly for blending. The Aligoté grape is also known by the names Blanc de Troyes, Vert Blanc, Chaudenet Gris, and Plant gris. There have been small, experimental plantings in Chile
.
and Gouais Blanc
, which is an ancestry which is consistent with an origin in Burgundy or nearby areas of eastern France.
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
used to make dry white wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
s in the Burgundy
Bourgogne
Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...
region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and which also has significant plantings in much of Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
including Romania
Romanian wine
Romania is one of the world's largest wine producers, producing around 610,000 tons of wine. In recent years, Romania has attracted many European business people and wine buyers, due to the affordable prices of both vineyards and wines compared to other wine producing nations such as France,...
, Russia
Russian wine
Russian wine refers to wine made in the Russian Federation and to some extent wines made in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics though this later referencing is an inaccurate representation of wines from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine...
, Ukraine, Moldova
Moldovan wine
With a production of 124,200 tons of wine , Moldova has a well established wine industry. It has a vineyard area of of which are used for commercial production. The remaining are vineyards planted in villages around the houses used to make home-made wine, or "vin de casa"...
and Bulgaria
Bulgarian wine
Grape growing and wine production have a long history in Bulgaria, dating back to the times of the Thracians. Wine is, together with beer and grape rakia, among the most popular alcoholic beverages in the country.-Viticultural regions:...
. With 45000 hectares (111,197.3 acre), it was the 22nd most planted vine variety in the world in 2004. The wine was first recorded in Burgundy in the 18th century.
Description
Aligoté is used to produce a varietal white wine, and can be used in the blend of Burgundy's sparkling wine, called Crémant de Bourgogne. In the varietalVarietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
appellation
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
Bourgogne Aligoté AOC
Bourgogne Aligoté AOC
Bourgogne Aligoté is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for white wine produced from the Aligoté grape variety in the region of Burgundy in France...
up to 15% Chardonnay grapes may be blended in. Traditionally, the cocktail kir (also known as vin blanc cassis in French) is made by adding cassis to an Aligoté white wine.
In Burgundy, where it often loses land to more prestigious grape varieties, Aligoté is often planted only in the poorer vineyard sites at the tops and bottoms of the slopes. This variety is more tolerant to the cold. 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
Clive Coates
Clive Coates is a British wine writer and Master of Wine, best known for his books about the wines of Burgundy.-Biography:Born in 1941, Clive Coates worked for The Wine Society in Stevenage in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1975 he founded the award-winning magazine The Vine, a monthly fine...
says it is a variety very much of secondary importance in Burgundy which produces a light, primeur-style wine with slightly herbal flavour and rather higher acidity than the Chardonnay. The village of Bouzeron
Bouzeron
Bouzeron is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.- Wine :Bouzeron is also an appellation d'origine contrôlée in the Cote Chalonnaise sub-region of Burgundy for a white wine made exclusively from the Aligoté grape, created in 1998...
which is considered to represent the region's finest examples of the variety with the appellation Bouzeron-Aligoté AOC restricting the yields to 45 hl
Litre
pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...
/ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
compared to the Bourgogne Aligoté AOC limited to 60 hl/ha.
Aligoté adds acidity and structure to other varieties when blended. The grape is often blended with Sacy
Sacy (grape)
Sacy is a white wine grape grown primarily in the central and northeastern France within the Yonne and Allier départments.Sacy ripens early, and produces light-coloured wines low in acid and alcohol.-Parentage:...
to complement its acidity.
Regional production
The grape is the second most popular white grape variety grown in Burgundy after ChardonnayChardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
, though it lies a long way behind in terms of planted area, with 1700 hectares (4,200.8 acre) against 12800 hectares (31,629.5 acre). The vines were once inter-planted and field blended with Chardonnay for the benefit of its added acidity but the vines have long since been separated. In Burgundy the grape can be found along the fringe edges of the Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France.- History :Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the former province of Burgundy.- Geography :...
along Route Nationale 74
Route nationale (France)
A route nationale, or simply nationale, is a trunk road in France. Trunk roads are in France are important roads which cross broad portions of the French territory, as opposed to secondary or communal roads who only serve local areas....
. It can also be found in Mâconnais
Mâconnais
The Mâconnais district lies in the south of the Burgundy wine region in France, west of the River Saône. It takes its name from the town of Mâcon. It is best known as a source of good value white wines made from the Chardonnay grape; the wines from Pouilly-Fuissé are particularly sought-after....
and Côte Chalonnaise
Côte Chalonnaise
Côte Chalonnaise is a subregion of the Burgundy wine region of France. Côte Chalonnaise lies to the south of the Côte d'Or continuing the same geology southward. It is still in the main area of Burgundy wine production but it includes no Grand cru vineyards...
. There are also small plantings just east of the Rhone Valley around the city Die
Die, Drôme
Die is a commune, former episcopal see, and sub-prefecture of the Drôme department in southeastern France.Die is best known for the Clairette de Die, a sparkling wine. It was a county in the High Middle Ages.-Population:-External links:*...
and in the commune of Pierrevert in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. It has its own AOC
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
, Bourgogne Aligoté. Aligoté is also produced in Eastern Europe, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
. In Bulgaria, the grape is prized for its blending qualities and high acid with more than double the quantity planted here than in the grape's ancestral home of Burgundy. The grape is primarily found in the Stara Zagora Province
Stara Zagora Province
Stara Zagora is a province of south central Bulgaria. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre—the city of Stara Zagora—the sixth-biggest town in the country...
around Chirpan
Chirpan
Chirpan is a town on the Tekirska River in Stara Zagora Province, South-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Chirpan Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 16,355 inhabitants....
. In Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
it is used to make sparkling wines with varietal
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
wines being made along the coast of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
around Gelendzhik
Gelendzhik
Gelendzhik is a resort town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the Gelendzhik Bay of the Black Sea, between Novorossiysk and Tuapse . Greater Gelendzhik sprawls for along the coastline and covers an area of 122,754 ha...
. Aligoté has also been produced, although in very small quantity, by Australian wineries. The wine is also grown in Washington State where it is resistant to the cold weather. The grape is also used in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, mostly for blending. The Aligoté grape is also known by the names Blanc de Troyes, Vert Blanc, Chaudenet Gris, and Plant gris. There have been small, experimental plantings in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
Origins
DNA fingerprinting has found Aligoté to be a crossing of Pinot NoirPinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
and Gouais Blanc
Gouais Blanc
Gouais Blanc or Weißer Heunisch is a white grape variety that is seldom grown today but is important as the ancestor of many traditional French and German grape varieties. The name Gouais derives from the old French adjective ‘gou’, a term of derision befitting its traditional status as the grape...
, which is an ancestry which is consistent with an origin in Burgundy or nearby areas of eastern France.