7 to 8 hours 📍 Tours Private Amboise E Bike Tour Clos Luce
🕑 Full-day
Where It Grows
Taste Seyval Blanc at the Source
Seyval Blanc is tied to a handful of regions. Explore each as a travel destination — with wineries, tours and guides.
Editor’s spotlight
Featured Winery · Seyval Blanc
Bells Up Winery
★ 5.0
Micro-boutique, un-domaine and open for winemaker-hosted tasting experiences, one group at a time, Bells Up Winery composes handcrafted Pinot Noir, Rosé, Pinot Blanc, Seyval Blanc, and Syrah from its estate and micro-sites in Willamette Valley ...
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Wineries Known for Seyval Blanc
Estates specializing in Seyval Blanc, open for tastings.
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Tours Featuring Seyval Blanc
Bookable experiences in Seyval Blanc's home regions.
7 to 8 hours 📍 Tours
★ Top rated 9 hours 📍 Tours Loire Valley from Amboise : Azay le Rideau, Villandry, 2 Wineries
🕑 Full-day
★ Top rated 9 hours 30 minutes 📍 Tours Loire Valley Day Tour Chambord and Chenonceau plus Lunch at a Private Castle
🕑 Full-day 🍽 Lunch included
1 hour 30 minutes 📍 Chinon Epicurean Discovery Tour with Wine & Local Specialties
🕑 Morning
★ Top rated 8 hours 📍 Loire Valley Sancerre Vineyard Day Tour with Private Driver
🕑 Full-day
★ Top rated 9 hours 📍 Tours Loire Valley Most Visited Castles Private Tour from Tours or Amboise
🕑 Full-day
More About Seyval Blanc
Seyval Blanc is another French-American hybrid grape that is outlawed for quality wine production in its country of creation because it does not have 100% vinifera genes. This grape is a cross between Seibel 5656 and Rayon d’Or, and it was created in 1921 by French grape breeder Bertill Seyve and his son-in-law, Villard, hence the names that it is known by, Seyve Villard and Seyval Blanc. For a bit of context, Seibel is a classification of grapes that originated with Albert Seibel, who was known for developing phylloxera-resistant grape varieties.
Though Seyval Blanc is no longer used in France, it is widely planted along the East Coast in the United States and up into Canada, and there are even some plantings in Oregon. It is also a popular variety in England and Wales, although, the E.U. ban on quality wine using this grape has caused some problems with production in the U.K.
RELATED: Learn About Other Grape Varieties and Visit Wineries with the Free Winetraveler App
Terroir
In the vineyard, Seyval Blanc ripens early and is extremely suitable to cool and colder climates. The best soils to grow this variety are deep, loamy, well-drained soils that hold some moisture. Large clusters contain small berries and the fruit is very susceptible to powdery mildew and botrytis. Because the grape contains high acidity, many producers will use oak aging and malolactic fermentation to soften acidity and add body to the wines, which are usually extremely light in style. Seyval Blanc is popular in Ice Wine production in Canada when it is left on the vine into the early winter months. Its natural high acidity and lower sugar content at ripeness also makes it an ideal candidate for sparkling wines. Additionally, Seyval Blanc is found as a single varietal dry or semi-sweet white or in blends with other white grapes.
Tasting Notes
In the glass, Seyval Blanc as a dry single varietal is a light, crisp wine with high acidity and aromas and flavors of citrus, green apple, honeydew melon, and noticeable minerality. Some have compared it to a Chablis, and have even gone as far as to call it “East Coast Chardonnay,” due to its common Burgundian style and abundance of plantings along the East Coast of the U.S. from the Carolinas to the Finger Lake region in New York State.
Seyval Blanc Food Pairings
When it comes to food pairings, Seyval Blanc is best with summer salads, chicken, and seafood like clams, oysters, and whitefish. It is also a good match for dilled cheeses like Havarti. Semi-sweet styles of the wine would be perfect to accompany a spicier seafood meal like Thai shrimp.
Learn About These Other Wine Grape Varieties
Jacqueline Coleman is a professional wine + travel writer, wine judge, columnist, and consultant based in Miami, FL.
Seyval Blanc: Frequently Asked Questions
What does Seyval Blanc wine taste like?
Seyval Blanc offers crisp green-apple, pear and citrus flavors with subtle floral, mineral and hay-like notes. This French-American hybrid shows bright acidity and a light-to-medium body, often compared to unoaked Chardonnay or Chablis. Oak-aged versions add rounder, nutty texture.
Is Seyval Blanc sweet or dry?
Seyval Blanc is typically made dry, defined by crisp acidity and refreshing citrus-apple flavors. Its versatility also yields off-dry and sparkling versions in cooler climates. The classic still expression is a clean, dry white with bright, mineral-driven freshness.
What food pairs well with Seyval Blanc?
Seyval Blanc's crisp acidity pairs well with oysters, shellfish, grilled fish and light seafood. It complements salads, goat cheese, roast chicken and vegetable dishes. Its clean, citrusy profile also suits sushi and fresh, herb-driven appetizers, working much like a dry unoaked white.
What is the difference between Seyval Blanc and Chardonnay?
Seyval Blanc is a cold-hardy French-American hybrid producing crisp, high-acid, light-bodied whites, ideal for cool climates. Chardonnay is a European vinifera grape yielding fuller, more versatile wines from many climates. Unoaked Seyval resembles Chablis, but Chardonnay offers greater richness and aging potential.
Where is Seyval Blanc grown?
Seyval Blanc thrives in cool climates thanks to its disease resistance and early ripening. It is widely planted in England, Canada and the eastern and midwestern United States, including New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan. It is also grown in its native France.
How should you serve Seyval Blanc?
Serve Seyval Blanc well chilled, around 45-50°F, to highlight its crisp acidity and citrus-apple freshness. Oak-aged versions show best slightly warmer in a larger glass. Enjoy it young to capture its bright, refreshing character, and use it as a versatile aperitif.
