Baroque (grape)
A white grape saved from extinction in South West France.
Baroque, also spelled Barroque, is a white French wine grape primarily planted in the Tursan region of South West France. It produces full-bodied wines with nutty flavors. Ampelographers suspect the grape may be a crossing of Folle Blanche and Sauvignon blanc.
Quick Facts
- Species
- Vitis vinifera
- Also called
- See list of synonyms
- Origin
- France
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Baroque shares the synonym Bordeleza zuria with Folle Blanche.
- The grape has been known as Muscadelle de Nates.
- Baroque was once called Escripet folle.
History
The exact origins of Baroque are not clear, but ampelographers believe it may be descended from a crossing of Folle Blanche and Sauvignon blanc. Once grown throughout southwest France, its plantings are now primarily isolated to the Landes department, which contains the Tursan VDQS wine region. In the 20th century, Baroque gained favor among vine growers for its resistance to powdery mildew. By the 1980s, the grape was virtually on the edge of extinction due to vineyard removal in the Landes. Wine historian Jancis Robinson notes that Baroque was saved from extinction by chef Michel Guérard, owner of the three-star Michelin rated restaurant Les Prés d'Eugénie in Eugénie-les-Bains. At the Tursan wine estate owned by himself and his wife, Guérard revived interest in the variety by producing an aromatic full-bodied Baroque-based wine that critics have described as characterful.
More in White Wine Grape Varieties from France
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