Seyval Blanc

Seyval Blanc comes from France. VIVC records France as its country of origin under variety number 11558, and lists this white-berried grape as an interspecific crossing. Its parents are Seibel 5656 and Rayon d'Or, the pedigree its passport gives as confirmed by markers. The breeder named on the passport is Bertille Seyve-Villard. In Jancis Robinson's words, it is a "French hybrid which withstands cold well". The passport flags offspring, but WineWiki's VIVC-derived lineage data links no children or siblings for Seyval Blanc.

• VIVC prime name: Seyval Blanc; VIVC variety number 11558; country of origin: France
• Parents: Seibel 5656 x Rayon d'Or (pedigree confirmed by markers)
• Breeder: Bertille Seyve-Villard
• Offspring: flagged in the VIVC passport; none linked in WineWiki's lineage data

Bertille Seyve, who married the daughter of the hybridizer Villard, used the name Seyve-Villard for his hybrids, and his hybrid number 5276 became Seyval Blanc. The firm Seyve-Villard was started by Bertille Seyve and Victor Villard in 1919 in France. Seyval Blanc is a hybrid crossing Vitis vinifera, Vitis rupestris and Vitis lincecumii. In Britain, Seyval Blanc has been grown for decades. In New York, Cayuga, a hybrid of Seyval Blanc and Schuyler, was developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva.

• Seyve-Villard 5276: the hybrid number that became Seyval Blanc
• Bred from Vitis vinifera, Vitis rupestris and Vitis lincecumii
• Grown in Britain for decades
• Parent of Cayuga, a Seyval Blanc x Schuyler hybrid from Geneva, New York

Seyval Blanc is a white variety of light to medium body, with gentle aromatics and citrus acidity. Primary aromas commonly include citrus, melon and green apple.

Seyval Blanc withstands cold well. In Britain it remains particularly important in cooler-climate vineyards.

• Withstands cold well
• Particularly important in Britain's cooler-climate vineyards

Hints of citrus, melon and green apple are often present in Seyval Blanc, which is medium to light bodied with a crisp finish. It responds very well to barrel fermentation, producing a complex, medium-bodied wine. When barrel fermented, it takes on the qualities of a light Chardonnay. In New York, Seyval Blanc tends to be dry to off-dry, and it is the one white hybrid there that appears to benefit from aging in oak barrels. In Great Britain it is used in both still and sparkling wines.

• Flavour profile: hints of citrus, melon and green apple, with a crisp finish
• Responds very well to barrel fermentation
• New York: tends to be dry to off-dry
• Great Britain: used in both still and sparkling wines

Under the UK Quality Wine Schemes, Seyval Blanc cannot be used for PDO sparkling wine: only six vine cultivars are permitted there, and no hybrid vine varieties are permissible. At PGI level, hybrid vine varieties such as Seyval Blanc are permitted for sparkling wine.

• UK PDO sparkling wine: no hybrid vine varieties are permissible
• UK PGI sparkling wine: hybrid varieties such as Seyval Blanc are permitted
• Great Britain plantings: 122.71 hectares in WineGB's 2024 planting figures

Seyval Blanc is grown in Canada, New York and England. WineGB's 2024 planting figures put it at 122.71 hectares, making it the fifth most planted grape variety in Great Britain. Most of the hybrid acreage in New York is in white wine varieties, primarily Cayuga White and Seyval Blanc. In the Sussex Downs, Breaky Bottom planted its vineyard in 1974; Seyval Blanc is still its principal variety, and the estate now produces only sparkling wines following the Méthode Champenoise.

• Grown in Canada, New York and England
• Great Britain: fifth most planted grape variety in WineGB's 2024 planting figures
• New York: one of the two main white hybrids by acreage, with Cayuga White
• Breaky Bottom, Sussex Downs: Seyval Blanc is still the principal variety

Primary sources: https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=11558 ; https://winegb.co.uk/blog/what-are-piwis/ ; https://winegb.co.uk/wines/styles/white-still-wines/ ; https://newyorkwines.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/NYWCR-JUNE-2018.pdf ; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-quality-wine-schemes-guidance-sparkling-wines/uk-quality-wine-schemes-guidance-sparkling-wines ; https://www.breakybottom.co.uk/cuvees Reference sources: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/white/seyval-blanc Last verified 2026-10-20