Terret blanc


Terret blanc is a white French wine grape variety growing primarily in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. It is a mutation of the Terret vine that also spawned the dark skinned Terret noir and light-skinned Terret gris varieties.
In official statistics, the plantings of two "light-berried" Terret grapes are often counted together. The varieties reached their peak in French wine productions in the late 1980s when together the Terret varieties were the ninth most widely planted white grape variety. In the Languedoc, plantings of Terret were equal to that of Chardonnay.

Wine regions and plantings

Terret blanc is a permitted grape variety in several Languedoc AOCs including:
Varietal Terret blancs are a specialty of the commune of Sète in the Hérault department where it is used for the local vermouth and distilled for brandy.
As of 2000, the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité reported that there was 3000 hectares of the light skinned Terrets, of which approximately 2,600 ha were believed to be the Terret blanc variety in particular.

Synonyms

Known synonyms of Terret blanc include Bourret blanc, Tarret blanc and Terret monstre.