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Roussanne, The Pefect Blending Grape

Roussanne is a white wine grape grown that originated in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with the Marsanne grape to make quality wines. It is one of the few white varietal grapes that are grown in the highly regulated Northern Rhone regions which are mainly devoted to growing blended wines.

Roussanne is blended into white wines but it is also often blended into red wines. The name comes from the word that means russet brown. The grape itself is a golden greenish yellow tinged with color in a way that almost makes it look rusted. It is a very fragrant but quite delicate grape.

The Roussane grape is also cultivated in North America (particularly in Washington and California), in Australia, and in Europe (especially in Spain and Tuscany.) In Australia it is blended with Shiraz (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Syrah/Shiraz/) and grown mainly near Victoria. The grape is famous for rounding out the taste of wines so that they are fuller and sweeter tasting.

The grapes are a reddish brown color when ripe and the aroma that it creates when made into wine is often reminiscent of pears and honey. Grapes grown in cooler climates also have flowery notes that are detectable on both the tongue and the nose. Roussane grown in the Savoy region is more peppery.

The key word that is used to describe the flavor is mellow. Wherever the wine blend is sharp, the Roussanne (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Roussanne/) grape can make it mellower. It is also great as a single variety wine but it is harder to find. This is because of the high demand for these tasty grapes for use in wine blends. During some harvests they can be quite scarce because a great crop is not always produced.

This is a very late ripening grape and it is also not the profitable. It cannot be counted on to produce high yields year after year. Another drawback of this crop is that it is susceptible to a disease called powdery mildew. The grape is also difficult to prevent from oxidization and the acidity in the wine is often controlled by aging it in oak barrels. Grapes that are not grown well create a thinner, tarter more acidic wine. The wine fails if it tastes tart or acidic.

The wine is not always sold as a varietal. In California it is being sold as a single wine under the brand of Tablas Creek. These wines have a very strong nutty and fruity taste. The California wine is an everyday table wine and not necessarily that expensive as the quality of Roussanne grown in the New World is not as good as those grown in Europe.

Despite the fact that it is hard to grow you can find the Roussane grape being cultivated in vineyards all over the world. Other names for this wine include Barbin, Bergeron (in particular in the Savoy region), Greffon, Greffou, Martin Cot, Petite Rousette, Picotin Blanc, Plant de Seyssel, Rebellot, Rebolot, Remoulette, Roussane, Roussane Blanc, Roussanne Blanc, Roussette, and Altesse.