Marsanne is the most widely planted grape of the Northern Rhone Valley and makes up the greatest percentage of the white wines of St. Joseph and Hermitage. At its best, this tempermental grape offers wonderfully aromatic, nutty wines with fine aging potential. Also grown successfully in Victoria in Australia, the variety doesn’t like extreme temperatures. When the climate is too warm, Marsanne tends to lack acidity, while when too cool, the wines tend to neutral and uninteresting.