Seyval Blanc, what's that?

"Hold on to your hats, Maryland wine fans. Don't let the modest price tag fool you. This is serious, full-bodied white wine. Made from the underrated seyval blanc grape, this wine delivers just as much flavor, intensity and complexity as many $20 chardonnays. There's plenty here: toasty oak, vanilla, peach, pear, dry essence of honey, spices. It would be fun to serve this blind to some California wine snob." - Michael Dresser, Baltimore Sun, 1994

HYBRID GRAPES POST PROHIBITION

Seyval Blanc, Maryland’s first fine wine? Maybe, maybe not; however, it was most likely the first one to garner international acclaim. Read on for more.

Maryland’s wine history, post-Prohibition, has its origins deeply rooted in hybrid grapes (i.e., crosses of European Vitis vinifera vines with American Vitis labrusca or Vitis riparia vines). Nearly all of Maryland’s wine production consisted of hybrids. As a matter of fact, most of the eastern United States was dependent on them, along with indigenous varieties. As you visit Maryland wineries, today, though, you’ll be hard pressed to find wines made from anything other than European Vitis vinifera grapes.

Hybrid grapes have always been polarizing. Many believed they made inferior wine and only drank them because they were the only type available. Some of this sentiment is certainly a carryover from winemakers' and consumers' feelings about wines made from indigenous Vitis species. Early American colonizers thought the wine made from indigenous grapes created such bad flavors that the only way to correct them was to add sugar, a rare commodity in the 16th and 17th centuries. This technique has carried through to the present via some very recognizable products (e.g., Manischewitz). However, much progress has been made in wines from hybrid and indigenous grapes, and they continue to be topics of discussion in schools of enology.

Reading through old articles in the Baltimore Sun, New York Times, and Washington Post, it’s clear there was no consensus on hybrid wines. Some reviewers hated them and recommended they be drunk very, VERY chilled (as to not taste them). Other stories highlighted that they were the bulk of wine made in the eastern U.S. and described them as desirable. Some articles tell of hybrid varieties, like Vidal Blanc, given blind to French experts who then identified it as a premium wine, such as German Riesling. In fact, a particularly interesting story about Seyval Blanc finds itself sounding incredibly close to this. The story involves one of the original Maryland wine pioneers receiving recognition from the French.

SEYVAL BLANC AND MARYLAND HYBRID GRAPES

In Maryland, Dr. G. Hamilton Mowbray (Montbray Wine Cellars) and Philip Wagner (Boordy Vineyards) were prominent advocates for the growing of hybrids, including Seyval Blanc. Post-Prohibition, European vinifera varieties were still scarce in the eastern U.S. Although this was around 60 years after the discovery of grafting onto American rootstocks could neutralize vine-killing phylloxera, forward progress continued to struggle due to Prohibition and the eastern climate.

Between 1940-1960, Philip Wagner was a significant voice and architect in progressing winegrowing. Writing the preeminent book on American viticulture at the time, his books focused on growing and making wine from hybrid grapes.

French Croix de Chevalier de Merite Agricole

Dr. Mowbray, despite being a disciple of Dr. Konstantin Frank (well-known for his work with Riesling in the U.S.; Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, NY), was also instrumental in moving viticulture forward and pushing the reputation of hybrid grapes, particularly the hybrid variety Seyval Blanc. In 1976, the French were so impressed by Dr. Mowbray's work that they awarded him the French Croix de Chevalier de Merite Agricole for his contributions to winemaking and grape growing--he was only the second American to receive that award. They told him he was making better wine from the French-American hybrid Seyval Blanc than anyone in France.

By the mid-1970s, Dr. Mowbray and others had pushed the reputation of Seyval Blanc forward so much that many writers and critics were recognizing it as the best white wine grape in the region. Many commented saying that when done well, the grape far exceeded any regional Chardonnay. This reputation persisted through the 1990s, if only by writers and critics. But where is Seyval Blanc now? Why wasn't that reputation enough to continue production?

THE PUSH FOR VINIFERA

I mentioned Dr. Konstantin Frank earlier, and that Dr. Mowbray was his follower. Dr. Konstantin Frank was the vintner that established Riesling in the Finger Lakes of New York, proving the capabilities of vinifera. Frank vehemently pushed for vinifera--he even perpetuated a false narrative that hybrids were poisonous and would hinder the development of the human body (cf. H. Cattell, Wines of Eastern North America, ch. 3). Many people identified with Dr. Frank’s position. Even within the world of Vitis vinifera, there has been hierarchy. The so-called “noble grapes” (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, etc.) have dominated this hierarchy for the past century plus, indicating that some believe that a mere handful of grape varieties are superior to all others. This attitude carried over to hybrids and indigenous American grapes. As I mentioned earlier, unfamiliar flavors led drinkers to believe they were inferior. I think it’s fair to say that many winemakers and buyers still exhibit this attitude today. The preference for Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc continues to dominate. Especially outside of the Maryland/Chesapeake region, there is simply very little demand for wine made from hybrids. This may not be the case if the Judgment of Paris didn’t happen! Well… it probably would have still, but perhaps later.

JUDGMENT OF PARIS TURNING POINT?

1976 holds significance in this story through two events. It just so happens to be the year that France recognized Dr. Mowbray for growing a superior version of Seyval Blanc compared to the French! But it was also the year of the Judgment of Paris. For context, this was an event organized by a British wine merchant that pitted the French leading wines with the best wines that California had to offer. California wines bested all competitors in both red and white categories. This was a turning point, proving that vinifera could grow and do very well in the United States. One of my theories as to the dissipation of hybrid grapes in the U.S. is a change in the greater consumer attitude due to these results. European grapes have a long history of grand reputation. Perhaps the tables were always going to tilt in that direction.

STATISTICS

I don’t know where to find vineyard statistics from the 1970s up until 2006. But the Maryland Grape Growers Association does have info from 2006 until today, some of it being easily accessed from their website. Between 2006 and 2011, plantings of Chardonnay increased from 40,000 vines to 75,000 vines, whereas Seyval Blanc went from 7,400 to 15,500 vines. As you can see, Chardonnay dominates.

I had the opportunity to talk to a local winemaker about Seyval Blanc. I asked about how it grows in Maryland and why it’s not seen much anymore. Their sentiments were as expected, “Seyval Blanc doesn’t have the depth of flavor.” This is the largest indicator as to why Chardonnay is now dominant. Seyval Blanc grows much better in our region than Chardonnay. Seyval Blanc has high vigor and is more resistant to local disease pressures. Much progress has been made in the region when it comes to growing Chardonnay and other European grapes. Winemakers have learned how to work around more weather obstacles and how to vinify based on the pH and sugars of the grapes coming in from the field. Regional Chardonnay wines are now more balanced and have highly desired flavor profiles.

There are still a couple of Maryland wineries making wines based on Seyval Blanc, such as Serpent Ridge and Basignani. The owners of Basignani Winery were close friends with Dr. Mowbray; they make a Seyval Blanc from the same vines, presumably, that Dr. Mowbray was recognized for! If you are lucky, you can find a bottle of Basignani Seyval Blanc Montbray Vineyard. I really hope you come across it and try it. The Basignanis take great care to make a good wine from the fruit.