Given its name, you’re forgiven for thinking Blanc du Bois is a French grape variety. This American hybrid, created in 1968 by John A. Mortensen at the University of Florida, is named after Emile Dubois, a noted French 19th-century grape grower who eventually made his way to America.
The grape was bred for its resistance to Pierce’s disease—a prevalent virus throughout the U.S.’s Southern wine regions, according to Eric T. Stafne, Ph.D., an agronomy research professor at Mississippi State University. However, when it was released for commercial use in 1987, “there wasn’t a huge market for it since there weren’t a lot of wineries in the South,” he says.
Eventually, Blanc du Bois “somehow got to Texas,” says Jerry Watson, owner of Austin County Vineyards and one of the earliest Texas Blanc du Bois growers. He’s also the man behind the Watson Training System, which was specifically designed to deal with the vine’s vigorous canopy. If left to its own devices, the green growth will completely envelop the grapes, cutting off access to sunshine and fresh air—especially problematic for Blanc du Bois, a grape susceptible to fungal infections. This divided canopy system allows for better airflow and sunlight.
“We embraced Blanc du Bois more broadly than any other state,” Watson says of the Texas grape-growing community. By the mid-2000s, the Lone Star State was the Blanc du Bois capital of America, according to Wine Business Analytics.
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But it wasn’t just the grape’s resistance to Pierce’s disease that winemakers came to admire. They also fell for its fruit-forward and crisp profile. Not to mention, “You can get just about any style of wine with Blanc du Bois successfully,” adds Paul M. Bonarrigo, owner and winemaker of Messina Hof Winery, which has several locations throughout Texas. Over the years, Bonarrigo has experimented with oaked, sweet, dry and sparkling versions.
They aren’t the only winery to do so. Tiffany Mencacci, winemaker at Haak Vineyards and Winery in Santa Fe, makes all the aforementioned, as well as a Madeira-style fortified wine using Blanc du Bois; Kate Coleman, a Southern Texas winemaker, recently made a skin-contact orange wine with the hybrid.
Texans aren’t the only ones embracing Blanc du Bois. Jeff Landry, co-owner and vintner of Landry Vineyards in Louisiana, has been growing this hybrid for over two decades. Today, he produces 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of Blanc du Bois annually in semi-dry, dry, Port and Frizzante styles. Throughout the years, Landry has worked to build more consumer interest in Blanc du Bois. And while he’d like to see it in more restaurants and supermarkets, “We don’t have any intention of distributing outside of Louisiana,” he says.
Across state lines, Texans seem to be taking a similar “keep it local” approach. Bonarrigo admits that keeping it regional can inhibit Blanc du Bois from reaching a more national audience. On the flip side, “customers see it as, ‘If I want to experience the Gulf of Texas’ regional white—that’s Blanc du Bois,’” he says.
Quick Facts
- Grape: Blanc du Bois
- Cross Of: Florida D 6-148 and Cardinal
- Wine Styles: Still, sparkling, skin-contact, fortified
- Aromas/Flavors: white peach, ripe melon, pineapple, mango, citrus
- Food pairing: Texas Gulf Oysters, Cajun dishes, soft cheese plates
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Click here to subscribe today!
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Published: February 27, 2024
