Wine Arcana

Grape

Picardan

Picardan is a rare white Vitis vinifera grape of the Rhône Valley. Its importance is chiefly historical and legal: it remains one of the varieties named in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape specification, although it is a very small presence in the vineyards. The evidence supports a cautious description of a late-budding, mid-ripening, vigorous vine that can produce fine, fruity wines with moderate acidity.

Identity and history

The exact legal name used in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape specification is picardan B. FranceAgriMer's consolidated French clone list records Picardan B as a wine-grape variety, with clone 1183 maintained by the Institut français de la vigne et du vin (IFV) and selected by IFV and the Vaucluse agricultural chamber.1. FranceAgriMer, Liste des clones officiellement agréés en France, consolidated March 2026, table entry “Picardan B.”

Picardan is now very rare. Inter Rhône describes it as indigenous to the Rhône Valley and “very little used.”2. Inter Rhône, “Picardan grape variety.”

Viticulture

The available regional description gives Picardan large leaves with a velvety underside, compact clusters of large, elliptic berries, and berries that take on a pinkish hue at maturity. It describes late budbreak and mid-season ripening, along with vigorous growth.2. Inter Rhône, “Picardan grape variety.”

Wine character

Inter Rhône characterises Picardan's wines as fruity, fine, and moderately acidic, and places it among grapes used for still dry white wine.2. Inter Rhône, “Picardan grape variety.”

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The current INAO product page identifies the Châteauneuf-du-Pape cahier des charges as “CDC en vigueur” and points to the governing decree. Section V of the specification lists Picardan B among the 18 grape varieties from which the appellation's red and white wines are made.3. Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité, Cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Châteauneuf-du-Pape », section V, p. 2 of the PDF. This establishes permission, not a minimum percentage, a requirement that every wine contain it, or any claim about how often growers plant it. The INAO overview instead highlights Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and Roussanne when describing the appellation's white wines, consistent with Picardan's marginal role in the modern regional blend vocabulary.4. Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité, “Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc.”

Sources