marketed under an Appellation or mixed with other varieties: Airén : a little-known variety, yet it is the most planted vat wine in the world with 390,000 hectares. It is second only to the sultana. Grown almost exclusively in Spain, it is planted in a low density and produces a dry white wine consumed locally Catarratto bianco comune : a grape from southern Italy, it gives an aromatic and high alcohol (14% of volume) wine. It is one of the varieties of grape used to produce Marsala and Madeira Chenin blanc : a French grape from the Loire Valley, it is also grown in South Africa. It yields a very fruity wine, sometimes mineral, dry, or sweet depending on the soil. It can be kept for a long time and take on the noble rot Maccabeu : a Spanish grape, it is used to develop Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine. It is also grown in the vineyards of Languedoc-Roussillon in France. Its wine is dry and fruity and yields a Fortified wine Sémillon : a grape originally from Bordeaux vineyards, it is the main variety used for sweet wines from Bordeaux and Bergerac due to its ability to take the noble rot It possesses a fig-like characteristic and is often paired with Sauvignon blanc to mellow its strong berry-like flavours. Trebbiano bianco or Ugni Blanc : an Italian grape variety giving a fairly neutral wine. In France this wine is usually distilled to yield cognac or armagnac Viognier : a French grape from the Rhône Valley, it has been planted in California since the 2000s. It yields a very fruity and complex wine Grenache blanc : this is the white form of Grenache black N. A variety of quality, it produces fine full-bodied dry wines, albeit with sometimes deficient acidity. It also provides natural sweet wines of high quality. Some varieties with coloured skins are also used to produce white wines: Gewürztraminer : this grape has a pink skin. Vinified in white, this is a very aromatic grape with typical aromas reminiscent of pink flowers and lychees. It is grown all over the Alps. It is an aromatic mutation of Traminer (in German gewürzt means "spiced") Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier : these grapes are used for the development of champagne and rose wines Pinot gris (Pinot grigio) is planted extensively the Venice region of Italy. The colour of these