Valdiguié, sometimes called Gros Auxerrois, enjoyed its finest hour in the late 19th century when, as a dark-berried grape variety from the Lot, it was valued for its productivity and its resistance to powdery mildew. In the early 20th century, it was known as ‘the aramon of the south west’ for its emphasis on quantity at the expense of quality. It has now been all but eradicated from France, where a few hectares remain, mainly in the Tarn département.
In 1980, French ampelographer Galet visited the US and identified the variety then sold rather successfully as Napa Gamay as none other than this undistinguished vine from south-west France, of which there were then 4,000 acres/1,600 ha planted in California. By the 1990s, it had disappeared from official statistics but occasionally turned up on the label of a fruity varietal wine.
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