Roussanne is also a Rhone grape, it has high acidity and a very distinctive aroma of fine herb tea. It is capable of making fine wines as a varietal which,due to the high acidity, age well in the bottle. It is,however,more usually blended, especially with the marsanne, in which combination it contributes acide to complement the marsanne's body. Yeringberg,which has been producing wines since 1863 in the Yarra Valley, produces a marsanne- rousanne blend.

The grape is also planted in various wine-growing regions of the New World, such as California, Washington, Texas and Australia as well as European regions such as Crete, Tuscany and Spain.
The berries are distinguished by their russet color when ripe — roux is French for the reddish-brown color russet, and is probably the root for the variety's name. The aroma of Roussanne is often reminiscent of a flowery herbal tea. In warm climates, it produces wines of richness, with flavors of honey and pear, and full body. In cooler climates it is more floral and more delicate, with higher acidity. In many regions, it is a difficult variety to grow, with vulnerability to mildew, poor resistance to drought and wind, late and/or uneven ripening, and irregular yields.

Wines made from Roussanne are characterized by their intense aromatics which can include notes of herbal tea. In its youth it shows more floral, herbal and fruit notes, such as pear, which become more nutty as the wine ages. Roussanne from the Savoy region is marked by pepper and herbal notes. Roussanne wine and Roussanne dominated blends can be drank very well in the first 3 to 4 years of their youth before entering a "dumb phase" where the wine is closed aromatically until the wine reaches 7 or 8 years when it develops more complexity and depth.