Poulsard

The story

Poulsard is so light it looks like rosé. It's nearly transparent—pale salmon to onion-skin pink. Young sommeliers freak out when they see it. 'This can't be red wine!' But it is. And it's glorious.

Insider story

Poulsard (also spelled Ploussard) is Jura's lightest red. The skins are thin and pale, producing almost no color. Fermentation extracts minimal tannins. The result is translucent, delicate, weightless.

For decades, Poulsard was blended with Trousseau or Pinot Noir to add color. Pure Poulsard was rare. But in the 1990s-2000s, sommeliers and natural wine fans discovered it. 'This is wine's ultimate expression of elegance!' Demand exploded.

Producers like Domaine de la Pinte, Stéphane Tissot, and Domaine de la Tournelle started making serious, pure Poulsard. Bottles sell out instantly. It's a cult wine.

But here's the secret: Poulsard is incredibly hard to make. The thin skins tear easily during harvest. The must oxidizes quickly. Fermentation is tricky—too much extraction and it turns bitter; too little and it's watery. Only skilled winemakers can pull it off.

Technical deep dive

Poulsard has the thinnest skins of any red grape (even thinner than Pinot Noir). Color: pale salmon to onion-skin pink. Tannins: extremely low (800-1,200 mg/L). Acidity: moderate to high (5.5-6.5 g/L). Alcohol: 11.5-13% ABV.

Winemaking: whole-cluster fermentation (50-100%), gentle punch-downs (avoid extraction), short maceration (3-7 days). Some producers use carbonic maceration for extra freshness.

Industry secrets

Poulsard's pale color is genetic—no amount of extraction will darken it. Some producers try blending it with Trousseau or Pinot to add color. Purists say that's cheating.

For collectors

More red grapes

• Prieto Picudo
• Prokupac
• Prunelard
• Pugnitello
• Raboso