Colombard
Also known as French Colombard, Colombar
Charentes, France
A crisp, high-acid white, a cross of Chenin Blanc and Gouais Blanc, used for Cognac and Armagnac, dry Gascon whites and easy-drinking wines in California and South Africa.
Sensory profile
Characteristics
Flavor & aroma
At a glance
Production facts
Prevalence
Widely planted
Climate
Moderate climate
Ripening
Mid season
Wine styles
Still
Where it's grown
Geography
Shaded areas are the state, province or département(s) containing each region, so they run wider than the appellations themselves.
France
Gascony (Côtes de Gascogne)
Fresh, aromatic, unoaked whites, and a base wine for Armagnac.
United States of America
California (Central Valley)
Widely planted as French Colombard for crisp, easy-drinking blends.
South Africa
Background
Origin & History
DNA analysis shows that Colombard is a natural cross of Chenin Blanc and Gouais Blanc, and Chenin Blanc is itself closely linked to Savagnin. It was grown for centuries in the Charentes and Gascony, where its high acidity and neutral flavour suited distillation into Cognac and Armagnac.
Today it is best known for the fresh, fruity Côtes de Gascogne whites, and for large plantings in California's Central Valley, where it is sold as French Colombard, and in South Africa, where it is called Colombar.
Lineage
Family tree
Ancestry above, descendants below. Click a related grape to explore its own lineage.