Colombar

APPEARANCE

ON THE VINE: Colombar is a vigorous vine that does well in hot, dry climates. Both bunches and berries are medium-size and it has a thin, tough skin that's yellowish green with a purple tinge when fully mature.

 

IN THE GLASS: colour varies between bright pale-straw yellow to pale gold. A hint of green often denotes youth.

SMELL

A distinctly flowery perfume. Guava, melon, tropical fruit, candyfloss, floral, peach, apricot, honey and almond. Floral tones.

TASTE

All the aspects of the nose carry through to the palate and combine with the wine’s lively acidity.

ORIGIN

From south-west France, it was once the state's most planted variety, providing reliably crisp base wine for commercial, often quite sweet white blends, and it remains a fruity, crisp dry and off-dry white wine, of rather modest quality. Half of France's plantings were uprooted in the '70s, though it remains associated with Armagnac and Cognac, for which it is distilled.

IN SOUTH AFRICA

South African Colombar's high acidity and suitability to cool fermentation resulted in a discernable increase in plantings after 1970. Also termed Colombard (with a ‘d’), the variety became important to the country’s brandy industry, and reached a peak of popularity for cheap off-dry white. It is now cultivated extensively in the hot interior, often under irrigation, in the Orange and Olifants River areas, as well as in the Little Karoo and the Breede River Valley.

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD

California's Mendocino, Lake Country and San Joaquin Valley Colombars are well known, whereas Colombars from the Gironde region in France play a major role in eau-de-vie production. In Australia there were still 600 hectares in the early 1990s, although it is usually blended with more fashionable varieties, often adding useful natural acidity.

BEST EXAMPLES

In France, the Armagnac region's Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne and Vin de Pays Charentais. In South Africa: Bon Courage, McGregor…

AGEING POTENTIAL

This variety should be drunk young, as it tends to lose its fruit after a while.

MATCHING WITH FOOD

Salads, light fish dishes, delicate terrines and crisp salads.

SERVING TEMPERATURE

Between 8° and 14° C.