white grape · regional staple
Colombard
Charentes, France
Say it
koh·lom·bard
Final -d is silent in French (/kɔ.lɔ̃.baʁ/); American English typically voices it. Dictionary.com records first-syllable stress (KOL-um-bard) but wine-trade usage favors last-syllable following the French pattern.
On the palate
How you spot it blind: razor-sharp acidity with a telltale guava note in warm-climate examples
The story
First written down · early 18th century, Charentes, France
DNA analysis confirmed Colombard is a Chenin Blanc × Gouais Blanc cross, making it a half-sibling to Chardonnay through their shared Gouais Blanc parent.
Family tree: Chenin blanc × Gouais blanc
Where it lives
Côtes de Gascogne IGP, France · Cognac & Armagnac, France · California Central Valley, USA · Robertson & Olifants River, South Africa · Israel