Marsanne

Fashionable vine thanks to its origins as the most common variety in the white wines of the Rhône (its Roussanne is declining, mainly because it is more difficult to grow.) Its wines tend to full-bodied, veering to heavy, with flavours reminiscent of glue and marzipan. Marsanne is a permitted ingredient in many of the Languedoc's whites and is increasingly sold as a varietal IGP wine. The Australian state of Victoria has some of the world's oldest Marsanne vineyards, which produce sturdy examples, and California has also planted it, particularly in the Central Coast.