[First posted on Grape Wall of China on 6 April 2018.]

Who is Paul Truel? A French scientist who created the grape Marselan in 1961. What is Marselan? A cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. Why does it matter?

Marselan is now used for wine in 20-plus nations. And for the past ten years, a rising number of people have cited its potential as “China’s grape”, like Malbec for Argentina, Zinfandel for California, and so on.

For these reasons, I started World Marselan Day, and aim to hold it on April 27, the same day as Paul Truel’s birth.

Yes, I understand there are many grape days now, but I think they work best for varieties that have an interesting and unfolding story to tell, and that is certainly the case with Marselan.

By the way, I originally considered doing this project in 2015 but, because I was so involved in the wine industry, I did World Baijiu Day instead. This one will be far more relaxed!

Want to participate? On April 27, open a bottle of Marselan and raise a glass to Paul Truel. And please send me a photo so I can include it on the site (email: jimboyce at marselanday.com).

Learn more about Paul Truel here, about Marselan here, and about the wines made with this grape here.