French Colombard, common California name for one of the state’s most planted grape varieties, the French white colombard, now much more widely planted in California than in France. Originally brought from Cognac, Colombard was sold as a varietal wine in the 1970s and 1980s when there was a shortage of white wine grapes. Most of it is grown in the san joaquin valley for jug whites and charmat sparklers.
© Jancis Robinson and Oxford University Press 1994, 1999, 2006, 2015
