Savagnin
Also known as: Formentin, Heida, Naturé, Païen
A vinifera white (Jura France, cold-humid continental).
Across the consideration criteria
What it makes
Aromatic family
Tasting notes
How it grows
- Cold hardiness
- -15°F
- Ripening
- Mid-season
- Vigor
- Moderate
- Disease tolerance
- Moderate
- Drainage need
- Well
- Soil pH
- 6–6.8
- Graft requirement
- Graft Required
- US availability
- Rare
Considerations
Primary buds start to die near -15°F. Handles a normal cold-climate winter, but a hard freeze is a risk.
Needs roughly 2600 growing degree-days to ripen, a mid-season variety (Winkler III). A mid-length season carries it most years.
Foliar-disease pressure is heavy for this variety, a intensive spray program in a humid climate. Plan on a full, well-timed fungicide schedule.
Susceptible to Pierce's disease. Only a threat in the warm, humid South and parts of California; cold-winter regions cure it naturally.
Moderate vigor. Easier to balance; tolerates more fertile ground.
Moderate heat tolerance. Comfortable across a moderate heat range.
Moderate water demand. Average moisture needs for a wine grape.
Prefers soil pH between 6.0 and 6.8. Outside the band, lime or sulfur brings it in range.
Phylloxera-susceptible: plant grafted onto resistant rootstock.
These are intrinsic to the grape. On a real property, Folia scores each against your site; here they're shown on their own.
Grows alike
similar to growAltesse
Same heat band (moderate) · Same Winkler band (III)
Budai Zöld
Same heat band (moderate) · Same Winkler band (III)
Cortese
Same heat band (moderate) · Same Winkler band (III)
Arneis
Same heat band (moderate) · Same Winkler band (III)
Picpoul
Same heat band (moderate) · Same Winkler band (III)
Sémillon
Same heat band (moderate) · Same Winkler band (III)
Climate-adapted alternatives
more resilient picksLouise Swenson
PIWI: bred for fungal pressure · Better downy mildew + powdery mildew resistance (5 pathogen-steps improved)
Itasca
PIWI: bred for fungal pressure · Better downy mildew + powdery mildew resistance (5 pathogen-steps improved)
Prairie Star
PIWI: bred for fungal pressure · Better downy mildew + powdery mildew resistance (4 pathogen-steps improved)
Divona
PIWI: bred for fungal pressure · Better downy mildew + powdery mildew resistance (6 pathogen-steps improved)
Frontenac Gris
PIWI: bred for fungal pressure · Better downy mildew + powdery mildew resistance (4 pathogen-steps improved)
Traminette
PIWI: bred for fungal pressure · Better downy mildew + powdery mildew resistance (5 pathogen-steps improved)
Could Savagnin grow on your land?
See how Savagnin scores against your specific property, with local precedent, climate, and the tradeoffs for your ground.
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