Grape Spotlight: Louisiana Blanc Du Bois from Landry Vineyards

Pierce's disease is a bacterial disease caused by Xylella fastidiosa, which lives in the water-conducting system of grapevines and is spread from plant to plant by sap-feeding insects. Glassy-winged sharpshooter, an exotic plant pest, is a key vector. Symptoms of Pierce's disease in grapevines include leaf scorch, where leaves become yellow around the leaf margins or between the veins, and the outer leaf area may dry suddenly while the rest of the leaf remains green. Affected leaves are less vigorous and smaller than healthy leaves. 

Grape growers in the Southeast and Texas are susceptible to Pierce's disease primarily because of their humid climate. Native muscadine grapes are mostly resistant to the disease but not Vitis Viniferia or French Hybrids. Enter Blanc Du Bois. Researchers at the University of Florida’s Leesburg Research Station, began a program to create a new grape that was fully resistant to Pierce's disease. Led by Dr. John Mortenson, in 1968, the team was able to develop a complex hybrid grape from crossing a Florida-developed muscadine hybrid (Florida D 6-148) with the Cardinal (a Vitis vinifera L.) table grape. They called this new white grape Blanc Du Bois, after Emile DuBois, a noted grower who emigrated from France to the U.S. in 1882.  As a wine grape, it is known to create white wines with floral and citrus flavors with decent acidity. 

Blanc Du Bois is now found in parts of Texas as well as Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. In the Pelican State, Jeff Landry has been cultivating Blanc Du Bois since he founded Landry Vineyards in 1999. The winery and estate used to be located in eastern Louisiana, but moved post-Katrina to West Monroe, in north-central Louisiana, where the soils, hills and climate are more suitable to growing wine grapes. In the new estate, they cultivate 16 acres of vines, specializing in Blanc Du Bois, Lenoir/Black Spanish and Crimson Cabernet (I envision a few more spotlights).  Over the past 20 years, they have improved the quality of the their grapes through canopy management, cover crops, composting, leaf pulling, and other vineyard practices -- many from recommendation from Viticulturist, Fritz Westover.

I purchased this Landry Vineyards Louisiana Grown Blanc Du Bois ($13) while in Lafayette and this Louisiana Certified Craft Beverage is dry and flavorful with a floral aroma and citrus profile. There's also depth which hints at some type of oak treatment. Would only ask for a little more acidity - otherwise a pleasant wine at a very reasonable price. 

“Taste the Wines of America” Congressional Wine Reception

Last week I was able to attend the “Taste the Wines of America” Congressional Wine Reception, which coincides with the annual Board of Directors & Membership Meeting of WineAmerica, and organization which "...serves the interests of wineries in all 50 states by leveraging its formidable grassroots lobbying strength to benefit the entire industry.".  The reception is a unique event that allows guests to sample wines from throughout the United States (see list below) and particularly those made from non-standard grape varieties.

 For instance, we sampled a few Chambourcin - notably our friends at Port of Leonardtown Winery (MD) as well as Glacial Till Vineyard & Winery (NE). In fact there were several Nebraska wines with James Arthur Vineyards and Soaring Wings Vineyard Dragon's Red from Frontenac - being two more to follow. Texas was represented including Blanc du Bois ( Chisholm Trail Winery Belle Star Lone Oak Winery) as well as our favorite the McPherson Cellars “Tre Colore” Red Wine. Temparnillo seems to be a popular grape in the Lone Star state as two wineries brought some to share: Landon Winery & Pedernales Cellars. Tennessee's Arrington Vineyards contributed their Petite Noir made from the Noiret grape - another Cornell University variety with Steuben as a parent. The wine is interesting, raspberry with a little smoke finishing with smooth tannins.

But perhaps the most unique non-standard grape was the Valiant Vineyards Winery Wild Grape Wine - actually produced from wild grapes. Proprietor Eldon Nygaard uses native vitis riparia (riverbank grape) that grow along the rivers and streams in the South Dakota and being native grapes are very cold-hardy and disease resistant. Nygaard's property resides near the banks of the Missouri River and while chatting he explained how Lewis & Clark camped on his site. He also showed us pictures of his Wild Grape Wine in wine shops in Paris selling for over 70 Euro. You don't have to pay that much in dollars - it's closer to $30 domestically. The wine is quite good, somewhat jammy as are many native grapes, but with a chocolate texture and a smooth tail. Very nice. Nygaard was also pouring his Full Throttle Saloon a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Norton - another nice wine

Moving to more traditional grapes, there was plenty of Riesling represented by Colorado, New York, Michigan wineries. The Black Star Farms Arcturos Riesling was a favorite - with the brand being named for the brightest star in the constellation Boötes and the northern celestial hemisphere. Fenn Valley Vineyards Edelzwicker (Riesling and Traminette blend) was another nice wine from the Wolverine State. The Midwest was also represented by other Michigan wineries as well as a couple from Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana's Oliver Winery. Unfortunately no mead. The Northeast was well represented with wines from throughout New York state - from Lake Erie to Long Island. From the later, Cabernet Franc was well represented from the North Fork by Clovis Point Wines, Palmer Vineyards, & Osprey's Dominion Vineyards. From Connecticut, the Jones Winery Woodland White blend was quite nice and we always enjoy the Dornfelder from Presque Isle Wine Cellars (PA).  Heading into Virginia, I had never sample the Lovingston Winery Petit Manseng - giving us another incentive to visit the winery. Needlesstosay, there was quite a few wines being sampled - other favorites included the Colorado Cellars Winery (CO) Gewurztraminer; Gallifant Cellars (AZ) Chenin Blanc; and Stone Hill Winery (MO) Norton & Vignoles.

What about the big three - California,Washington, and Oregon. They were well represented with several Oregon Pinot Noir - all very nice and very similar. L'Ecole No. 41 wines and proprietor, Marty Clubb, came from Washington and his Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley wines are always fine. Note to self to start drinking more from the Pacific northwest. And finally their were several California wines with the most interesting being the Bokisch Vineyards & Winery Verdelho and, as always, anything from Cakebread Cellars.

And special thanks to the winemakers who attended, always great to talk to Ron and Mary Bitner from Bitner Vineyards; Jim Ballard James Arthur Vineyards; the Coes from Black Star Farms; Marty Chubb L'Ecole No. 41; and Eldon Nygaard Valiant Vineyards Winery. Cheers.

San Sebastian Winery Vintner's Red

I'll finally got a chance to drink local based on various definitions by opening a bottle of San Sebastian Winery Vintner's Red. I think we had picked up the bottle the least trip to St. Augustine and as I recall I generally prefer the Vintner's White over the Red. However, the red was all we had. And it is what it is; a slightly sweet muscadine wine made from the Noble grape. And served slightly chilled, it works in the south Florida heat. Its full of flavor; smooth and complements a burger nicely. Tomorrow the remainder will be used as a base for Sangria. And while headed home we are stopping by to load up on some Blanc Du Bois.

Wine 101 - Blanc Du Bois

Traditionally, grapes are cultivated in each region based on geographic conditions, and not necessarily on which wine is is most popular in the market. In this regard, American winemakers in the southeast and Gulf states have been limited in the grapes that they can cultivate because the humid conditions of their terrior promote the development of Pierce's disease. Vitis Viniferia grapes are particularly susceptible to this disease, in which bacteria attacks the "water conducting" elements of the vines (xylem). Thus wine growers in this region were primarily dependent on growing native Muscadine grapes, which were mostly resistant to the disease. Researchers at the University of Florida’s Leesburg Research Station, began a program to create a new grape that was fully resistant to Pierce's disease. Led by Dr. John Mortenson, in 1968, the team was able to develop a complex hybrid grape from crossing a Florida-developed muscadine hybrid with the Cardinal (a Vinifera hybrid) table grape. They called this new white grape Blanc Du Bois, and claimed that is was completely resistant to the destructive disease. For the past two decades, southern winemakers have validated this claim by producing dry, fruity Blanc Du Bois wines, many which have won medals in international competitions. Although Florida was it's original birthplace, this grape has flourished in other humid regions in the United States, particularly in Texas.

One Texas winery, Haak Vineyards & Winery, was one of the first wineries in the country to cultivate Blanc du Bois. In the early 1970’s Raymand Haak contacted the University in Florida after reading about their efforts to create a grape resistant to Pierce's Disease. He ordered a few Blanc du Bois vines and began experimenting with the grapes he grew. He believed that it had great potential to produce premium wines and encouraged other local vineyards to plant the variety. His foresight has proven correct since his winery has produced numerous medal winning dry and off-dry Blanc du Bois wines. The winery’s best wine comes from the two acres of 24 year old vines growing in his vineyard. In addition, the winery is able to purchase tons of quality Blanc du Bois grapes from commercial growers in his region. From these grapes, Haak Winery produces two distinct styles of wine. The first style is finished off-dry with 3% residual sugar. If exhibits a flavor profile similar to a nice clean crisp Riesling with flavors of peach, pear, pineapple and other tropical fruit. The second style is finished dry. It exhibits citrus flavors with grapefruit being predominant and finishing with slight hints of lemon, banana, and honey – similar to a clean crisp New Zealand style Sauvignon Blanc. However, Mr. Haak explains, “make no mistake about it, Blanc du Bois is its own grape variety and is winning loyal consumers every day”. These “loyal consumers” purchase the entire stock of each year’s vintage and even includes wine judges, who have awarded Haak Winery medals for its Blanc du Bois, since the first vintage. Among the many medals awarded in 2005, were Silver at the Indiana International Wine Competition, Bronze at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, and Silver and Bronze at the Texas Best Wine Competition. In addition, the dry Blanc du Bois was awarded Best of Show at the Texas Best Wine Competition. The primary hindrance that Mr. Haak experiences is the lack of name recognition that encumbers several of the varieties reported in this Vitis Labrusca section. Blanc du Bois is sold primarily through the tasting room, where the general public overwhelmingly enjoys the unique characteristics of this grape. However, he does not expect the wine buyer to purchase this wine at a retail outlet, when they probably have never heard of the fruit. He has even had name recognition problems with wine judges, where one was reported to ask “What grape is this wine made from?”

Two other Texas wineries, Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards and Tehuacana Creek Vineyards and Winery, started cultivating Blanc Du Bois after looking for a vine that is resistant to Pierce disease and as a bonus, found that this grape makes world class wine. Los Pinos Ranch is a small family-owned winery located in east Texas almost half way between Dallas and Shreveport. The winery’s philosophy is to encourage people to be adventurous in your wine tasting, and to meet this goal, they are producing three versions of Blanc Du Bois. The first is a dry white wine - similar to Viognier; the second is a semi-sweet wine in a Riesling style; and the third will be a malolactic barrel fermented dry wine that will taste like peaches. As with many non-vinifera grapes, many “wine critics/experts” have preconceived notions about what grapes and regions will produce good wine and thus give Blanc Du Bois scant notice. Jeff Sneed, the winery’s winemaker, is firmly convinced that given a blind taste test, Blanc Du Bois can compete with any “French” grape. We completely agree with Mr. Sneed when he advises, “Don’t listen to wine ‘experts’. Most people know what tastes good when they put it in their mouth.”

Tehuacana Creek Vineyards and Winery is a family owned and operated vineyard located in Waco, Texas. They are pleased to be able to produce a unique and premium white wine such as Blanc du Bois without having to produce “yet another Chardonnay”. Their Blanc du Bois is aged in stainless steel which gives the wine a crisper and livelier fruit taste which further distinguishes it from classic American whites. According to the winery, their Blanc du Bois combines the crisp fruit of a Riesling with the aromatic flavors of a Muscato and a touch of spiciness reminiscent of a Gewürtztraminer. It has also received a welcome reception from the Texan wine public by earning accolades at this year's Annual Heart of Texas Wine and Food Festival. Ulf Westblom, the winery’s Winemaker, also recommends aging the wine for several years – unlike other white wines, Blanc du Bois will further develop in the bottle.

Traveling east into Louisiana, Landry Vineyards has been cultivating Blanc Du Bois since the vineyards were first planted in 1999. Located in the town of Folsom, in St. Tammany Parish, the winery seeks to produce quality Louisiana wines that are distinctive to the region and Blanc Du Bois meets this criteria based on its resistance to Pierce disease, its tolerance to heat and its ability to produce quality wine. Landry Vineyards produces three versions of the wine: Blanc Du Bois Dry, Blanc Du Bois Oak Aged, and Blanc Du Bois Semi-Sweet. According to the winery’s tasting notes, “each version possesses clean crisp flavors of fruit including peach, pear, tropical fruit with hints of wood character and honey-suckle aromas”. Jeff Landry, the owner/winemaker, believes this grape produces a nice wine and is excited about their current success producing Blanc Du Bois.

Blanc du Bois will never receive the public exposure as Chardonnay or Riesling. But its worth a try.