Auxerrois

Auxerrois is a white grape with a quieter, rounder profile than the briskest northern European whites. It is established in Alsace and Luxembourg, where official regional descriptions emphasize fruit, aromatic breadth and a softer feel. Its name is easy to misread: Auxerrois is a distinct cultivar, related to Chardonnay through shared Pinot and Gouais Blanc parentage, not another name for Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc.

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Chasselas

Chasselas is a white grape whose most compelling story is how clearly it can reflect place without insisting on a loud varietal signature. Across French-speaking Switzerland, it ranges from light, softly textured aperitif wines to more concentrated regional examples. In Valais it is known as Fendant; in Vaud it is the emblematic white grape. Its birthplace remains a matter of evidence and probability, with genetic and historical research pointing most strongly toward the Lake Geneva region.

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