The Winery Idyll Time Wines of San Benito County of California

Discover the grape variety: Verjus

A very old grape variety, probably of southern origin, which was once found in many French regions including Picardy, it once abounded in the Seine basin and Burgundy, generally grown on trellises, arbors, against walls, etc. A very beautiful stump is now found climbing along the walls of the Reims Sciences Po Campus (Marne), given as being over 300 years old. It was also known in Italy, Germany, ... and well before the phylloxera crisis and because of its great vigour, it was customary to graft on "Verjus" varieties that lacked it. Today, it is on the verge of extinction, but it can be found among a few amateur gardeners who sometimes use it as an ornamental vine. Note that it has never been used as a wine grape because its wine is frankly bad.