Wines made from Villard noir grapes of Serra Gaúcha
Discover the best wines made with Villard noir as a single variety or as a blend of Serra Gaúcha.
An interspecific cross between Chancellor - 7053 Seibel - and 6905 Seibel or Subéreux, obtained by the Seyve-Villard company, formerly located in Saint Vallier in the Drôme. As with the white Villard - 12375 Seyve-Villard - these were the two most widely planted direct-producer hybrids. Today, Villard noir is on the verge of extinction, although it is listed in the Official Catalogue of Wine Grape Varieties, list A1.
Serra Gaúcha is a Brazilian wine region in the Southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, where Brazil meets Uruguay. Its name is apt: the landscape here is characterized by low mountain ranges (serras) and populated by gaúchos, the cowboys of the Brazilian Pampas. Small landholdings of just a few hectares are the norm in Serra Gacúha, which makes co-operative winemaking almost a necessity. The cost of buying and maintaining winemaking equipment is considerable, so local vignerons pool their resources and invest in shared, co-operative wineries.