The red grape variety is an interspecific new breed between Piquepoul du Gers (Folle Blanche) x Riparia Grand Glabre (presumably the paternal seed was a pollen mixture). Synonyms include 24-23 Baco, Baco 1, Baco 1-24, Baco 24-23; Bacoi, Baco Negru, Bacoi, Bago, Bako Noar, Bako Noir, Bakon, Bako Sieiski, Bako Speiskii, E x A Wolfschlugen and Frybert. It contains genes from Vitis riparia and Vitis vinifera. The crossing of the hybrid took place in 1902 by the French breeder François Baco (1865-1947) in Bélus (Southwest France). The variety was a crossing partner of the new breeds GR 7, Olivar, and Totmur. It is also used as table grape and as rootstock. The early ripening vine is resistant to both types of downy mildew, but susceptible to black rot. It produces color-rich, acid-driven red wines that do not exhibit foxton. Baco Noir was once widely cultivated in France, especially in Burgundy. Due to the EU hybrid ban, the stock has shrunk dramatically; the cultivation area is now only 5 hectares. In Switzerland, it is cultivated on 1.2 hectares. In the 1940s, the variety was brought to Canada by the French-born wine pioneer Adhémar de Chaunac (1896-1972), where it occupies 704 hectares. In 1951, it was introduced to the USA, where it is grown in the states of Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on a total of 25 hectares. In 2016, a total of 735 hectares of vineyard area were reported (Statistics Kym Anderson). Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012. Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)
