Definition: Chasselas (2)

French-speaking Switzerland is the world's leading region for Chasselas wine production (Switzerland 6,000 ha, Germany 1,500 ha, Alsace 300 ha, Savoie 150 ha, New Zealand approx. 80 ha, Pouilly-sur-Loire 50 ha). In Valais, the grape variety is called Fendant, which is also the name of the wine. In the canton of Vaud, Chasselas produces the same white wine, with a Terravin quality label. In the canton of Geneva, it is called Perlant. In Neuchâtel, good Chasselas wines carry a quality label called La Gerle, which corresponds to the Terravin quality mark of the Vaud vineyards.

Globally, Chasselas is an important grape variety for table grape production. The wine it produces is generally smooth, but thin and rather bland. The exception to this are the privileged vineyards of Switzerland, where the winegrowers who produce it benefit from a very traditional experience of this crop and its vinification. They produce a wine of great finesse, fairly light, slightly sparkling and charming, much appreciated as an aperitif, with fish from the lake and cheese. In this wine, which is slightly lacking in aroma (with the exception of certain vintages, such as Dézaley and Calamin, which are strongly influenced by their terroir), what appeals is its suppleness and its ability to quench thirst, making it an aperitif wine par excellence.

An excellent book devoted to this grape variety, LE CHASSELAS, Collection Patrimoine Vaudois - Retraites Populaires, was published in 2008 by Éditions Favre SA in Lausanne - ISBN: 978-2-8289-1034-1. Format 24 x 27 cm - 192 pages. Illustration at the top of the article.

Through text and images, this book, illustrated with magnificent photos by Pierre-Michel Delessert, deals with the historical, social, economic, cultural, folkloric, human, commercial and marketing aspects of Chasselas. Claude Quartier is an agricultural engineer and excels in the art of popularising everything to do with the land.

Websites:

See links below.

Thesecond link highlights the popularity of Chasselas as a table grape.

Another approach by Paul Vetter:

The origin of Chasselas is unknown. Many hypotheses have been put forward by specialists. Pierre Galet, author of the famous Dictionnaire encyclopédique des cépages (Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Grape Varieties), cites two. The first attributes its origin to the East. Chasselas is said to have been cultivated in the vicinity of Constantinople, then brought back to France in^{the 16th century} by an ambassador of François I. Later, in^{the 18th} century, during the reign of Louis XV, General de Courten is said to have imported Chasselas plants from the King's vineyard in Fontainebleau to Switzerland. However, Pierre Galet also mentions the opposite hypothesis, placing the origin of Chasselas on the shores of Lake Geneva. Cistercian monks are said to have cultivated Chasselas in Dézaley as early as the Middle Ages. From there, it spread in all directions. Quoting Adrien Berget, he states that "traditions and texts attest that Fendant originates from Switzerland. To be convinced of this, one need only examine the geographical distribution of its cultivation as a wine grape". According to Berget, the famous vineyard of the King of Fontainebleau was not planted until 1750, and Chasselas could have been imported directly from Switzerland by soldiers stationed at the castle. Claude-Henri Carruzzo, author of Cépages du Valais, puts forward other hypotheses. The first places the origin of Chasselas in the south of France, where François I is said to have taken cuttings; the second considers it to have originated in the village of Chasselas, near Mâcon.

Whatever the case, we know that Chasselas did not really take hold in Valais until 1847, during the Sonderbund War, when regiments from Neuchâtel and Vaud occupied the canton. The name Fendant also dates from this period, due to the fact that when pressed between the thumb and forefinger, the berries of some Chasselas grapes split open.

Chasselas is an early-ripening grape variety. It is highly fertile, but its production can be very irregular. It is susceptible to numerous diseases: coulure, chlorosis, mildew, powdery mildew, grapevine moth... Its early budding also makes it vulnerable to spring frosts. On the other hand, its large conical bunches are often loose, making it fairly resistant to grey rot. Chasselas berries are fairly easy to recognise: rounded and fairly large, they brown easily in the autumn sun.

Fendant or Chasselas is a fairly neutral wine (as opposed to so-called aromatic wines). Fruity, floral, mineral: the aromatic palette is vast, as Chasselas owes much to the terroir that gives it life. It is not uncommon to detect notes of gunflint, lime blossom and a delicate citrus fruitiness. A good Fendant should avoid heaviness and high alcohol content. It should remain fresh and easy to drink thanks to good acidity. In the event of overproduction or unfavourable weather, Chasselas can develop unpleasant herbaceous flavours.

Chasselas is the leading table grape variety grown in France, but the area under cultivation is in sharp decline: between 1958 and 1999, it fell sixfold and currently stands at less than 3,500 hectares. As a wine grape, Chasselas is grown in many European countries. In total, some 35,000 hectares are reserved for it, including more than 5,000 in Switzerland. This is less than in Romania (13,000 ha) and Hungary (6,000 ha), but more than in France, where only 494 ha are cultivated for wine production. Chasselas is also found in Germany, Yugoslavia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Spain, Russia, Ukraine, Albania, Turkey, Italy and Portugal. Chasselas has also conquered North Africa (Algeria, Lebanon, Israel) and other more distant countries such as Chile, California and New Zealand.

Although it remains by far the dominant white grape variety in the canton, Chasselas is losing ground. Between 1990 and 2000, the area planted with Chasselas decreased by 233 hectares. Its decline then accelerated with the introduction of subsidies for grubbing up due to overproduction problems throughout French-speaking Switzerland, despite the introduction of increasingly stringent production quotas. Today, it has fallen below 1,500 hectares in Valais, compared to more than 1,800 in 1990.

Fendant is the wine of traditional Valais cuisine. It accompanies raclette or the Valais platter. As a general rule, it is paired with cheese dishes. It can also be paired with grilled fish or seafood. But above all, Fendant is the aperitif wine par excellence, a wine for thirst and conviviality.

An in-depth study on Chasselas appeared in the daily newspaper Le Temps on 15 November 2008, under the following headline:

HIGHLIGHT: The revenge of Chasselas - article by Patricia Briel, wine journalist.

Once disparaged, Switzerland's most widely grown white grape variety is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Vaud winegrowers are attempting to turn it into a world-class wine.

Chasselas is on the rise. In 2007, the inclusion of Lavaux in UNESCO's World Heritage List suddenly brought to light a region dedicated to the production of a wine that was largely unknown to the world. Switzerland is one of the only countries where Chasselas is vinified on a large scale... to read more:

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