Aligote

Aligote is a white grape that is used to produce white wine varietals. These are often used to produce white wine blends in Burgundy called Cremant de Bourgogne. The region uses nearly 15% of Chardonnay grapes to blend with Aligote to create blended white wines. Because Aligote adds acidity, it is often blended with Sacy. In Burgundy Aligote is often planted in the poorer vineyards at the bottom and the tops of the vineyard sites because land is often lost to other prestigious grapes in Burgundy. Aligote can tolerate the cold and ripens quite early. The wines that are produced using Aligote grapes can be consumed quite young and are very high in acidity. The aroma of wines made with Aligote grapes feature elements of lemons and apples. In the village of Bouzeron the best examples of Aligote are grown and represent the best examples in the entire region. Aligote is the second most popular grape variety in Burgundy with Chardonnay at the top of the list. The vines used to be blended with Chardonnay, but have since been separated. Aligote is found in the Rhone Valley and in the Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence as well as parts of Eastern Europe.