Seyval blanc

Seyval blanc
Grape (Vitis)
Seyval blanc grapes prior to veraison.
Color of berry skin	Blanc
Species	French hybrid (50% Vitis vinifera; 37% Vitis rupestris; 13% Vitis licencumii )
Also called	SV 5276, Seyval
Origin	France
Notable regions	England, Wales, Canada, USA.
Hazards	Botrytis in wet years when very ripe

Seyval blanc (or Seyve-Villard hybrid number 5276) is a hybrid wine grape variety used to make white wines. Its vines ripen early, are productive and are suited to fairly cool climates. Seyval blanc is grown mainly in England, the United States east coast (specifically the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and Virginia), as well as to a lesser extent in Canada. Seyval blanc was created either by Bertille Seyve, or his son-in-law Villard, as a cross of Seibel 5656 and Rayon d'Or (Seibel 4986), and was used to create the hybrid grape St. Pepin. Seyve and Villard used the same Rayon d'Or x Seibel 5656 crossing to produce the red wine grape Seyval noir.

As it contains some non-vinifera genes, it is outlawed by the EU authorities for quality wine production, which was an issue of conflict with the English wine industry.

Seyval blanc has a characteristic citrus element in the aroma and taste, as well as a minerality that may be compared to white Burgundy. It is often oaked and subjected to a stage of malolactic fermentation.

Seyval blanc is known under the synonyms Seival, Seyval, Seyve Villard 5-276, Seyve Villard 5276, and SV 5276.