white grape · regional specialty
Auxerrois
Lorraine, France
Say it
oh·sair·wah
Named after Auxerre in Burgundy; the x is silent as in the city name
On the palate
Body
medium full
Acidity
medium minus
Aromatics
medium
peargreen applewhite peachlemonbeeswaxalmond
How you spot it blind: waxy beeswax-and-lemon nose with soft body and notably low acidity
The story
First written down · 1816, Moselle department, Lorraine, France
First recorded in the Moselle in 1816, Auxerrois was confirmed by 1999 DNA analysis (Bowers et al., Science) as a Gouais Blanc × Pinot cross and full sibling of Chardonnay and Aligoté.
Family tree: HEUNISCH WEISS × PINOT
Where it lives
Alsace, France · Luxembourg · Baden, Germany
Shows up as
still whitesparklingAlsace AOCCrémant d'Alsace