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Seyval (SV5276) is a French Hybrid that has become very popular in the Finger Lakes! Developed about 1920 by Seyve-Villard, it is a most versatile juice for winemakers. It has a moderate acid and a high brix requiring little or no adjustment, if the fruit is thinned and allowed to fully ripen. 

If you use yeast such as EC-1118 or D-47 or Pasteur Champagne, which result in a dry finish, it is sort of like a Poor Man's Chardonnay. It has also been blended with Chardonnay. Some of our winemakers use oak mor or oak chips or age it in a barrel.

It can be made with 71B-1122 for a more fruity style, nearly dry. This wine is also very nice made with Cotes des Blanc, which is a sensitive yeast and tends to get stuck. We recommend this yeast for sweet finishes. Several commercial wineries use Cotes Des Blanc for a fruity, sweeter Seyval. The fruitiness of Seyval is very subtle, not like the fruitiness of Niagara, which is more in your face. 

Tom may also use Seyval as a main component of our white hybrid blend, Contessa Bella. 

Seyval tends to over crop, which results in unripened fruit. We thin and pick a balanced crop ripe. Our Seyval is limited and most of the other growers in the region harvest it 1-2 weeks earlier than we do, so we usually do not have "extra" other than what we grow. 

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