‘Fresh and Fun,’ Seyval Blanc Is the Most Significant Grape You’ve Never Heard Of

Seyval Blanc, often likened to Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, has a rich history that dates back more than a century. Developed in the 1920s by the Frenchmen Bertille Seyve and his father-in-law, Victor Villard, the hybrid white wine grape went on to become a significant player in today’s wine industry. Its early-ripening nature makes it suitable for cooler climates, and it is now cultivated across the northeastern United States, including the Finger Lakes region and Lake Erie AVA, as well as in Canada and England. 

In the vineyard, Seyval Blanc produces small berries in large clusters and, similar to many hybrids, can yield heavily if not carefully managed. In the cellar, it exhibits a neutral fruit profile with notes of lemon zest and green apple, with a light body and crisp acidity. Techniques such as barrel fermentation, lees aging and oak maturation can all enhance its complexity and richness, while malolactic fermentation can reduce overly elevated acidity levels. 

When Wollersheim Winery & Distillery in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, planted vineyards and opened the winery in the 1970s, they experimented with several grape varieties, including Seyval Blanc. 

The operation’s head winemaker, Céline Coquard Lenerz, describes Seyval Blanc as a “fresh and fun” variety. While it’s not quite coldhardy enough to be a knock-out win growing-wise, the winemaking team liked it enough to continue working with it, eventually leading to the creation of their best-selling Prairie Fumé. Now using fruit sourced from the Finger Lakes, harvested early to retain freshness and acidity, Prairie Fumé is an off-dry style with 1% residual sugar to balance the acidity. 

“Seyval Blanc is a clean fermenter,” Coquard Lenerz notes. “It always expresses fruit regardless of yeast selection.” 

It’s also versatile and lends itself to various winemaking styles. In England, brut-style traditional method sparklers made with Seyval Blanc are garnering attention. Seyval Blanc is well-suited for the UK’s cool climate, particularly for growers in more marginal areas. It also provides an option for producers seeking to differentiate themselves from other producers making traditional method Chard/Pinot Noir/ Pinot Meunier blends. Additionally, yes, because it is fairly neutral and crisp, it works well for extended lees aging and allows those biscuity, yeasty aromas to really shine and add a lot of complexity and elegance to the wine. 

Elsewhere, winemakers create fresh, crisp bottlings, oaked matured options and even sweet dessert wines. 

Quick Facts

Grape: White wine French hybrid grape with high acidity and affinity for oak 

Cross of: 50% Vitis vinifera; 37% Vitis rupestris; 13% Vitis licencumii 

Wine styles: Dry, crisp whites, oaked whites with some degree of malolactic conversion, traditional method sparkling and late-harvest dessert wines 

Aromas/flavors: Lemon, white grapefruit, green apple, white peach, wet stone 

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2025 California issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Click here to subscribe today!

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