Arbois or Arbois Blanc is a white French wine

French wine

French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...

 grape variety planted primarily in the Loire regions. Despite being a minor grape, in the late 20th century it was the third most widely planted grape variety in the Loir-et-Cher

Loir-et-Cher

Loir-et-Cher is a département in north-central France named after the rivers Loir and Cher.-History:Loir-et-Cher is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Orléanais and...

 département which includes the winemaking

Winemaking

Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...

 areas of Cheverny

Cheverny

Cheverny is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher département in central France.It lies in the Loire Valley, about southeast of Blois.The commune is the site of the Château de Cheverny....

, Cour-Cheverny

Cour-Cheverny

Cour-Cheverny is a commune situated in the Loir-et-Cher department of the Centre region of France. The commune's land extends across the Loire Valley and across the Sologne region. Its inhabitants are known as Courchois.- Important historical landmarks :...

, Montrichard

Montrichard

Montrichard is a town and commune in the Loir-et-Cher département, in France.-Geography:The town lies on the north bank of the Cher river. south of Blois, west of Vierzon and east of Tours...

, Oisly

Oisly

Oisly is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France....

, Saint-Romain-sur-Cher

Saint-Romain-sur-Cher

Saint-Romain-sur-Cher is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France.-References:*...

, Valençay

Valençay

Valençay is a commune in the Indre department in central France.-Geography:Valençay is situated in the Loire Valley on a hillside overlooking the River Nahon.-History:...

 as well as vineyards that make wines under the Touraine AOC

Touraine AOC

Touraine is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the Loire Valley wine region in France that produce dry, white wines and red wines rich in tannins. The AOC status was awarded by a decree of December 24, 1939...

, Cremant de Loire AOC and Vin de Pays

Vin de pays

Vin de pays is a French term meaning "country wine". Vins de pays are a step in the French wine classification which is above the table wine classification, but below the VDQS and Appellation d'origine contrôlée classifications...

 du Loir et Cher. By 2004 acreage had steadily declined to around 750 acres (300 hectares). It is still a permitted grape variety in the Appellation d'origine contrôlée

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...

(AOC) regions of Cheverny AOC, Valençay AOC

Valençay AOC

Valençay is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for wine in the Loire Valley wine region in France, located in the Touraine subregion. The vineyards of Valençay, a town known for its cheeses, have held AOC status since November 2003. It previously had VDQS status since 1970. They lie on sloping...

 and Vouvray AOC.

History

Ampelographers are not completely sure about Arbois' origins though some of the grape's synonyms seem to suggest a relationship with the Pinot

Pinot

-Grape varieties:* One of several grape varieties and associated wines** Pinot blanc ** Pinot gris ** Pinot meunier** Pinot noir...

 family, as does its weak association with the Jura wine

Jura wine

Jura wine, is French wine produced in the Jura département. Located between Burgundy and Switzerland, this cool climate wine region produces wines with some similarity to Burgundy and Swiss wine. Jura wines are distinctive and unusual wines, the most famous being vin jaune, which is made by a...

 region of Arbois AOC (mostly through its similarities in leaf structure with Savagnin

Savagnin

Savagnin or Savagnin Blanc is a variety of white wine grape with green-skinned berries. It is mostly grown in the Jura region of France, where it is made into the famous vin jaune and vin de paille.-History:...

). It is most likely that the grape is native to the Loire Valley

Loire Valley

The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...

. Most of the grape's viticultural history is tied in to the historic Touraine

Touraine

The Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...

 region where it is still most prevalent today, particularly in the Loir-et-Cher département. The grape is on the decline in plantings and importance though it is still a permitted grape varieties in several AOCs including being the only grape other than Chenin blanc

Chenin Blanc

Chenin blanc , is a white wine grape variety from the Loire valley of France. Its high acidity means it can be used to make everything from sparkling wines to well-balanced dessert wines, although it can produce very bland, neutral wines if the vine's natural vigor is not controlled...

 permitted in Vouvray.

Wine

The Arbois grapevine is a highly vigorous and prone to producing high yields. If the yields are not kept in check, the white wines produced from the grapes can be less refined in flavor. Compared to the Chenin blanc grape that is found throughout the Loire, Arbois tends to produce softer wines with less noticeable acidity. For this reason, Arbois has mostly been valued as a "softening" agent to the higher acid varieties of Chenin blanc, Savagnin and Romorantin

Romorantin

Romorantin is a traditional French variety of white wine grape, that is a sibling of Chardonnay. Once quite widely grown in the Loire, it has now only seen in the Cour-Cheverny AOC. It produces intense, minerally wines somewhat reminiscent of Chablis....

.

Synonyms

Among the synonyms that Arbois is known under throughout 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...

are Menu Pineau and Petit Pineau. Other synonyms include Herbois, Orbois and Verdet.