Roussanne White Wine Variety

Roussanne wines are often described as more elegant than those of its better known cousin Marsanne.

However in the vineyard the variety is less popular because of its lack of hardiness and susceptibility to powdery mildew.

Comments from my forthcoming book Beyond Shiraz

Oz Clarke Grapes and Vines. Tap image for details

In his book Grapes & Wines Oz Clarke likens the aromas of Roussanne to those of herbal tea and pears.

With age the floral notes in the aroma are replaced with more complex characters. Like its sister variety Marsanne this variety ages very well, if you give it five or even ten years bottle age.

In Australia this variety is made into varietal wines, but it is more often blended with Marsanne, or occasionally in a three way blend with Viognier.

The historic Yerringberg in the Yarra Valley makes outstanding varietal wine from Roussanne. It needs extended bottle age.

In the Northern Rhone the variety is used in blends with Marsanne to make white Hermitage wines, it is also used as a component of the red wines of Chateauneuf du Pape.

Roussanne is becoming increasingly popular in several other regions of Southern France including Provence and the Languedoc and Roussillon wine regions.

It is also a favourite variety among the 'Rhone Rangers' of California, and there are some plantings in Northern Italy.

Georges Folly Roussanne from the Currency Creek Region of South Australia

Roussanne In Australia

These wineries use the Roussanne variety. Some make a varietal Roussanne, others blend it with the other Rhone white varieties Marsanne and/or Viognier.

A few wineries use Roussanne to make sparkling wine.

• Alkimi Wines Yarra Valley
• All Saints Estate Rutherglen
• Ansted & Co Bendigo
• Badgers Brook Yarra Valley Yarra Valley
• Ben Haines Wiens Yarra Valley
• Bent Road Granite Belt
• Box Grove Vineyard Nagambie Lakes
• Brokenwood Wines Hunter Valley
• Brown Brothers King Valley
• Burge Family Winemakers Barossa Valley
• Calabria Family Wines Riverina
• Campbells Wines Rutherglen
• Cape Mentelle Margaret River
• Cassegrain Hastings River
• Castagna Vineyard Beechworth
• Chambers Rosewood Rutherglen
• Chapel Hill McLaren Vale
• Chateau Tanunda Barossa Valley
• Clonakilla Canberra
• Collector Wines Canberra
• Condie Heathcote
• Coriole McLaren Vale
• Currency Creek Currency Creek
• D'Arenberg McLaren Vale
• Dandelion Wines Barossa Valley
• Djinta Djinta Gippsland
• Domenica Beechworth
• Elderton Barossa Valley
• Frederick Stevenson Barossa Valley
• Georges Folly Currency Creek
• Giaconda Beechworth
• Gilligan McLaren Vale
• Glenlofty Pyrenees
• Goona Warra Vineyard Sunbury
• Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy McLaren Vale
• Hayes Family Wines Barossa Valley
• Indigo Wine Company Beechworth
• Jester Hill Wines Granite Belt
• John Duval Wines Barossa Valley
• Jones Winery and Vineyard Rutherglen
• Kabminye Wines Barossa Valley
• Keith Tulloch Wine Hunter Valley
• Langmeil Barossa Valley
• Lark Hill Winery Canberra
• Lino Ramble McLaren Vale
• Lobethal Road Wines Adelaide Hills
• Lome Bendigo
• Lowe Family Wines Mudgee
• Massena Wines Barossa Valley
• McHenry Hohnen Margaret River
• McIvor Estate Heathcote
• Meera Park Hunter Valley
• Merkel King Valley
• Michael Hall Wines Barossa Valley
• Mitchelton Nagambie Lakes
• Mount Mary Yarra Valley
• Oxenbury Beechworth
• Pankhurst Wines Canberra
• Pirate Cru Barossa Valley
• Quarry Hill Wines Canberra
• Ravensworth Wines Canberra
• Richard Hamilton Wines McLaren Vale
• Serere Beechworth
• Shadowfax Vineyard and Winery Geelong
• Smallfry Wines Barossa Valley
• Spinifex Barossa Valley
• St Huberts Yarra Valley
• Surveyor's Hill Winery Canberra
• Syrahmi Heathcote
• Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes
• Tallarook Winery Upper Goulburn
• Tarrawarra Estate Yarra Valley
• The Story Wines Grampians
• Thistledown McLaren Vale
• Torbreck Vintners Barossa Valley
• Turkey Flat Vineyards Barossa Valley
• Valhalla Rutherglen
• Vinelea Beechworth
• Wanted Man Heathcote
• Warner Vineyard Beechworth
• Waterwheel Wines Bendigo
• Wood Park King Valley
• Wren Wines Heathcote
• Yangarra Estate McLaren Vale
• Yelland and Papps Barossa Valley
• Yeringberg Yarra Valley

Roussanne Described on De Long's Wine Grape Varietal Table. Click image for details

See the full list of varieties described on this site

Roussanne and food

Roussanne wines are typically moderate to full bodied so can be enjoyed with richer seafood dishes such as crab, lobster and scallops. 

You can also try these wines with roast chicken or turkey, just as you would pair a Chardonnay. 

An aged Roussanne would be enhanced with a cheese board with some hard cheese, an aromatic soft cheese and a generous dab of quince paste.

You can find many more suggestions for food pairing with Roussanne in Evan Goldstein's Daring Pairings book.

Click image for details of this book

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