Grape Glossary

Aligoté produces wine with elevated acidity. It is not suited to oak contact, which masks its delicate aromas. As a still wine, it is clean, fresh and light to medium-bodied, but can also be found in sparkling Crémant de Bourgogne and in eastern Europe, where it is used primarily for the production of sparkling wines.

Aligoté is a vigorous vine that varies in productivity. Yields average well below those of Chardonnay and it is somewhat lower in quality.

An original Pinot prototype and an obscure vine called Gouais Blanc are the parents of Aligoté and 15 other French varieties, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.