ations hip ▁to ▁other ▁g rap es ▁ ▁When ▁Mer lot ▁blanc ▁was ▁first ▁discovered , ▁it ▁was ▁thought ▁that ▁the ▁v ine ▁was ▁a ▁white - ber ried ▁color ▁mut ation ▁of ▁Mer lot ▁in ▁a ▁similar ▁relation ▁to ▁how ▁Gren ache ▁blanc ▁is ▁a ▁color ▁mut ation ▁of ▁Gren ache ▁and ▁Pin ot ▁blanc ▁is ▁a ▁mut ation ▁of ▁Pin ot ▁no ir . ▁However , ▁DNA ▁analysis ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California - D av is ▁and ▁noted ▁am pel ograph ers ▁such ▁as ▁Car ole ▁Mer ed ith ▁confirmed ▁that ▁Mer lot ▁blanc ▁was ▁distinct ▁from ▁Mer lot ▁( its elf ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁Bor de aux ▁gra pe ▁Cab ern et ▁Franc ▁and ▁the ▁Brit t any / Char ente ▁gra pe ▁Mag de le ine ▁No ire ▁des ▁Char entes ) ▁but ▁rather ▁was ▁an ▁off spring ▁of ▁Mer lot . ▁In herit ance ▁analysis ▁of ▁ 5 5 ▁gen etic ▁markers ▁spread ▁out ▁over ▁ 9 ▁chrom os om es , ▁showed ▁that ▁Mer lot ▁blanc ▁was ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁crossing ▁of ▁Mer lot ▁with ▁the ▁C ogn ac / Arm agn ac ▁gra pe ▁Fol le ▁blan che . ▁ ▁W ine ▁regions ▁Even ▁though ▁plant ings ▁of ▁Mer lot ▁blanc ▁are ▁scar ce , ▁the ▁gra pe ▁is ▁still ▁a ▁permitted ▁a ▁variety ▁in ▁the ▁App ell ation ▁d ' origine ▁contr ô l ée ▁( A OC ) ▁w ines ▁of ▁several ▁Bor de aux ▁wine ▁regions