Sacy (grape)
Encyclopedia
Sacy is a white wine
grape
grown primarily in the central and northeastern France
within the Yonne
and Allier
départments.
Sacy ripens early, and produces light-coloured wines low in acid
and alcohol.
and Gouais Blanc
. The DNA typing does not allow the identification of which Pinot variety (such as Pinot Noir
or Pinot Gris
) that was the parent. Sacy is one of a large number of French grape varieties sharing this parentage. This finding calls into question the older assumption that the grape variety would have originated in Italy
, although it does not completely rule it out.
Abbey. The vine's high yields and productivity made it a popular plant that soon led to overproduction in neighboring areas. In 1732, the Parliament
s of nearby Besançon
and Vermonton banned any additional plantings. The grape continued to be produced in the Yonne department where it was used as a blending component in Crémant de Bourgogne wines from Auxerrois
and as a blending partner with Aligoté
and, to a lesser extent, Chardonnay
.
Valley and in the Auvergne
region, the grape is known as Tresallier and is often blended with Sauvignon blanc
to form a tart white wine. Today, Saint-Pourçain
in the upper Loire Valley
is the only French appellation to include Sacy in its blend. In Saint-Pourçain, blending of Sacy and Chardonnay is mandatory, and some Sauvignon blanc may also be included.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
grown primarily in the central and northeastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
within the Yonne
Yonne
Yonne is a French department named after the Yonne River. It is one of the four constituent departments of Burgundy in eastern France and its prefecture is Auxerre. Its official number is 89....
and Allier
Allier
Allier is a department in central France named after the river Allier.- History :Allier is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Auvergne and Bourbonnais.In 1940, the government of Marshal...
départments.
Sacy ripens early, and produces light-coloured wines low in acid
Acids in wine
The acids in wine are an important component in both winemaking and the finished product of wine. They are present in both grapes and wine, having direct influences on the color, balance and taste of the wine as well as the growth and vitality of yeasts during fermentation and protecting the wine...
and alcohol.
Parentage
DNA typing has revealed Sacy to be a cross between PinotPinot
-Grape varieties:* One of several grape varieties and associated wines** Pinot blanc ** Pinot gris ** Pinot meunier** Pinot noir...
and Gouais Blanc
Gouais Blanc
Gouais Blanc or Weißer Heunisch is a white grape variety that is seldom grown today but is important as the ancestor of many traditional French and German grape varieties. The name Gouais derives from the old French adjective ‘gou’, a term of derision befitting its traditional status as the grape...
. The DNA typing does not allow the identification of which Pinot variety (such as Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
or Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
) that was the parent. Sacy is one of a large number of French grape varieties sharing this parentage. This finding calls into question the older assumption that the grape variety would have originated in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, although it does not completely rule it out.
History
The grape's origins have been assumed to be Italy, where it is supposed to have been brought to Burgundy some time in the thirteenth century by monks of the ReignyReigny
Reigny is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A farming area comprising the village and a few hamlets situated by the banks of the river Arnon, some south of Bourges, at the junction of the D38 with the D62 and D997 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:* The...
Abbey. The vine's high yields and productivity made it a popular plant that soon led to overproduction in neighboring areas. In 1732, the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
s of nearby Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
and Vermonton banned any additional plantings. The grape continued to be produced in the Yonne department where it was used as a blending component in Crémant de Bourgogne wines from Auxerrois
Auxerrois
Auxerrois is a historical province of France. Named after the city of Auxerre in Burgundy, it gives its name to several grape varieties:* Auxerrois Blanc is a white wine grape that is widely grown in Alsace, and also in Lorraine, Germany and Luxembourg...
and as a blending partner with Aligoté
Aligoté
Aligoté is a white grape used to make dry white wines in the Burgundy region of France, and which also has significant plantings in much of Eastern Europe including Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria. With , it was the 22nd most planted vine variety in the world in 2004...
and, to a lesser extent, Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
.
Regions
In the northern RhôneRhône (wine region)
The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée designations...
Valley and in the Auvergne
Auvergne (région)
Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not...
region, the grape is known as Tresallier and is often blended with Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
to form a tart white wine. Today, Saint-Pourçain
Saint-Pourçain AOC
Saint-Pourçain is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for wine located around Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule in the Auvergne region of France. It can alternatively be considered as an upstream satellite of the Loire wine region or as a tiny wine region in its own right...
in the upper Loire Valley
Loire Valley (wine)
The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of...
is the only French appellation to include Sacy in its blend. In Saint-Pourçain, blending of Sacy and Chardonnay is mandatory, and some Sauvignon blanc may also be included.