Gros Manseng, assertive and increasingly popular Basque white grape grown on about 3,000 ha/7,500 acres of south west france in 2011 to produce drier versions of Jurançon and various Béarn wines, as well as being one of the more characterful ingredients in Gascon dry whites. The vine looks similar to but is distinct from the rarer, thinner-skinned petit manseng. It yields more generously and produces discernibly less elegant, less rich, but still powerful wine. Unlike the smaller-berried Petit Manseng, it is not sensitive to coulure. Gros Manseng, unlike Petit Manseng, is rarely used for sweet wines.
