Discovery / Grape Varieties / Chasselas
Grape Varieties · Follow your curiosity
Chasselas
Follow Chasselas from Swiss vineyards and the name Fendant to Gutedel and France’s Pouilly-sur-Loire: one grape with several regional stories.
A little acquaintance, at a glance.
- Colour
- White grape
- Names to recognise
- Fendant · Gutedel
- Connections
- Switzerland · France · Germany
- Wine route
- Pouilly-sur-Loire
Meet the grape
Chasselas is a white grape with a particularly strong Swiss identity. Fendant in Valais and Gutedel in Germany are useful names to recognise. Keep the ingredient separate from the origin printed on a bottle: finding a familiar grape under another name opens a new regional conversation.
Find its places
Switzerland
Vaud, Valais, Geneva and the Trois-Lacs region are important homes. Lavaux’s terraced vineyards above Lake Geneva offer one memorable setting within that wider picture.
Valais and Fendant
Fendant is the familiar Valais name associated with Chasselas wines. The regional connection matters when reading the label; it is not a synonym for every white wine made in Switzerland.
France and Pouilly-sur-Loire
In Centre-Loire, Pouilly-sur-Loire provides a Chasselas route beside the much better-known Pouilly-Fumé. The latter uses Sauvignon Blanc: two wine names, two grape identities.
What might you notice?
A quieter perfume
Apple, pear, citrus and floral associations can be gentle rather than dramatic. Notice texture as well as aroma.
Gentle acidity
Swiss examples often have a soft impression of acidity. That does not establish their sweetness: fruit aromas and residual sugar are different observations.
Time can add another dimension
Some examples develop nutty or more complex mature notes. Ask about the particular wine rather than assuming that all Chasselas must be consumed immediately.
Follow one example into the cellar
Domaine Patrice Moreux’s Pouilly-sur-Loire technical sheet identifies its wine as 100% Chasselas from Les Loges. It describes pneumatic pressing, spontaneous fermentation with grape-associated yeasts and maturation in temperature-controlled stainless steel on fine lees. This is one documented producer approach, not a compulsory recipe for the grape.
That example also shows why lees contact and oak should be separate questions. Fine lees can be part of a white wine’s maturation in steel; their presence does not imply that the wine rested in a barrel.
At the table
Fondue and raclette are classic Swiss companions. Fish or a vegetable dish offers another starting point. Use a small pour, then compare a plain mouthful with one containing cheese or sauce. Let the actual wine’s freshness and weight guide the comparison.
A small Cork Dork discovery
Give your curiosity a little room.
Compare a Swiss Chasselas or Fendant producer description with a Pouilly-sur-Loire description. Identify origin, grape composition, vessel and lees information. If tasting, use small pours at a similar temperature and describe freshness, aroma and texture separately.
Your observations, your words. Small pours welcome.
A few questions worth uncorking.
Is Fendant a different grape?
It is the Valais name associated with Chasselas wines.
Is Pouilly-sur-Loire the same as Pouilly-Fumé?
No. Chasselas identifies the former wine connection; Sauvignon Blanc identifies Pouilly-Fumé.
Does lees maturation require an oak barrel?
No. Lees contact can take place in stainless steel and other vessels.
Where shall we wander next?
Centre-Loire →Loire Valley →Sancerre & Pouilly-Fumé →Sauvignon Blanc →Aging on the Lees →Oak & Stainless Steel →Behind this introduction
Editorial sources checked 25 October 2026. Composition, production rules and cellar practices can vary by appellation, producer and vintage. The producer’s notes are the place to check a particular bottle.