| Seyval blanc | |
| Color: | Blanc |
| Species: | French hybrid (50% Vitis vinifera; 37% Vitis rupestris; 13% Vitis licencumii) |
| Also Called: | SV 5276, Seyval |
| Origin: | France |
| Hazards: | Botrytis in wet years when very ripe |
| Regions: | England, Wales, Canada, USA. |
Seyval blanc (or Seyve-Villard hybrid number 5276[1]) is a hybrid wine grape variety used to make white wines. Its vines ripen early, are productive and are suited to fairly cool climates.[1] Seyval blanc is grown mainly in England,[2] [3] the United States east coast (specifically the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York,[2] regions in Ohio and Virginia), in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon[4]), as well as to a lesser extent in Canada.[1] Seyval blanc was created either by Bertille Seyve, or his son-in-law Villard, as a cross of Seibel 5656 and Rayon d'Or (Seibel 4986),[5] and was used to create the hybrid grape St. Pepin. Seyve and Villard used the same Rayon d'Or x Seibel 5656 crossing to produce the red wine grape Seyval noir.[6]
Since it contains some non-vinifera genes, it is outlawed by the EU authorities for quality wine production, which was an issue of conflict with the English wine industry.[1]
Seyval blanc has a characteristic citrus element in the aroma and taste, as well as a minerality that may be compared to white Burgundy.[2] It is often oaked and subjected to a stage of malolactic fermentation.[2]
Seyval blanc is known under the synonyms Seival, Seyval, Seyve Villard 5-276, Seyve Villard 5276, and SV 5276.[5]