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Pinot Pinot Pinot!

Whenever someone says “I love Pinot!”, we always assume they mean Pinot Noir. We could be wrong. After all, there are several other worthy members of the Pinot family.

 

Pinot Gris (as in France) or Pinot Grigio (as in Italy, same wine) is a friendly, easy-to-love white quaffer that has earned many fans here in the U.S. in recent years. Pinot Grigio is Italy’s most popular white wine and in the U.S. ranks behind Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s rise in America has been rapid-fire. As noted in Charlie Olken and Joseph Furstenthal’s excellent reference, The New Connoisseurs’ Guidebook to California Wine & Wineries, “Just 20 years ago, there was no recorded Pinot Gris acreage in California, and even ten years ago, there were just nine hundred acres standing in local vineyards. Today, the California plantings have risen to 12,600 acres….” For a wine, that’s an overnight success.

 

Can you tell the difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio? That depends on where it comes from. In France, the wine has a thicker texture than Italian Pinot Grigio, whose acidity is the star. In contrast, California winemakers turn out Pinot Gris and Grigio that has less acidity and more fruitiness. Oregon Pinot Gris is typically low in alcohol, high in acidity with excellent minerality.

 

Then, there’s Pinot Blanc. If you’re drinking this white wine, it’s likely from France’s Alsace region or Germany, although a handful are produced in California. Oregon is high on Pinot Blanc, though only a few hundred acres are planted. It can be a refreshing white full of citrus flavors, sometimes with a tart, lemony zing.

 

Good luck finding the red varietal, Pinot Meunier. It is most likely part of the blend in sparkling wine. It is one of the three main varietals (including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) in French Champagne.

 

Last but certainly not least, Is the family scion, Pinot Noir. We can’t call it the granddaddy of our other Pinots since most experts refer to its “offspring” as clonal mutations.

 

However, we can call it the “noble grape” and one of the worlds most sought-after reds. It is the lightest bodied red varietal, a natural bridge from whites to reds. Its signature California appellations include Napa Carneros, Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley (Sonoma), Anderson Valley (Mendocino) Santa Lucia Highlands (Monterey), Sta. Rita Hills (Santa Barbara).

2 Responses

  1. Joanne C. says:

    I love receiving your Blogs!! They are always very interesting and educational. Thanks for posting it.

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