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 of the peasants. Likewise, the German name Weißer Henuisch labels it as one the lesser, Hunnic grapes.

Gouais is known to have been widely planted in central and northeastern France in Medieval times. At this time, it was used to produce simple, acidic white wines, and were primarily grown in less good plots that were not suited for the much more highly regarded Pinot Noir or Pinot Gris. Gouais Blanc was thus the grape of the peasantry rather than of the nobility.

Its history before Medieval times is not known with any certainty, but is the subject of much conjecture, in similarity to many other grape varieties with a long history. Gouais Blanc has been proposed as a candidate for the grape given to the Gauls by Marcus Aurelius Probus (Roman Emperor 276–282), who was from Pannonia and who overturned Domitian's decree banning grape growing north of the Alps. Another hypothesis claims it originates specifically in Croatia (or Pannonia), but the Vitis International Variety Catalogue currently lists it as originating from Austria, which should probably be interpreted as "likely to originate somewhere in Central Europe".

Having been widely grown in proximity to Pinot, the two varieties had many opportunities to cross. And having such distant origins, those crosses showed hybrid vigour and were widely propagated. This unique combination of events means that many grape varieties today have Gouais Blanc as a parent, the most famous of which is Chardonnay.

DNA fingerprinting research at the University of California, Davis has also identified Gouais Blanc as an ancestor of the Aligoté, Aubin Vert, Auxerrois, Bachet noir, Beaunoir, Franc Noir de la-Haute-Saône, Gamay Blanc Gloriod, Gamay noir, Melon, Knipperlé, Peurion, Roublot, and Sacy grape varieties. Dameron is another result of the same cross, whereas a cross with Pinot fin teinturier produced Romorantin.

References

• Meredith, Carole. "The Origin of Chardonnay". University of Burgundy. 
• Jancis Robinson, ed. (2006). "Gouais Blanc". Oxford Companion to Wine (Third Edition ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 319.
• Lecture by Carole Meredith on the origins of grape varieties
• Maul, Erika; Töpfer, Reinhard; Eibach, Rudolf (2007). "Vitis International Variety Catalogue". Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof (IRZ), Siebeldingen, Germany.
• Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 112 Harcourt Books 2001