Terret is an ancient Vitis vinifera vine that, like the parent Pinot vine of Pinot noir's history, mutated over the course of thousands of years into grape varieties of several color.
[1] For years, the light skin varieties of the Terrets were grown together as field blends and used in Vermouth production.
The dark skin Terret noir accounted for 400 ha (1000 acres) mostly in the Languedoc with some plantings Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
[3] All the Terret varieties are noted for their late budding, which helps the vines avoid Spring frost.
The grapes ripen relatively early and are able to maintain high levels of acidity.