Pinot blanc
| Pinot blanc | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Pinot Blanc grapes | |
| Also called: | Weissburgunder or Klevner (Austria), Beli Pinot (Hungary), Pinot Bianco (Spain and Italy) |
| Notable regions: | (see major regions) |
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a clone or genetic mutation of Pinot gris, which is itself a clone of Pinot noir.
Origins and regional production
This grape is grown in several countries. In Alsace, Germany, Italy and Hungary, the wine produced from this grape is a full-bodied white. In France, the grape is particularly found in Alsace, and in Germany where it is known as Weißer Burgunder or Weißburgunder, and in the United States it is mainly California. In the United States, many of the vines called Pinot blanc are actually a different variety, Melon de Bourgogne/Muscadet, that resembles Chardonnay when on the vine. This mistake was discovered around the mid 1980s by a French oenologist who was examining rootstock while visiting University of California, Davis, and now Pinot blanc purchased from a nursery will be the genuine article. The grape is also grown in Austria and Hungary as well as in Burgundy, France.[1]
Pinot blanc has also been confused with Chardonnay, and wineries often vinify it in a similar style, using barrel fermentation, new oak and malolactic fermentation. It can also be treated more lightly and made into a crisper wine that still has some ability to age.
Wine characteristics
In Alsace, Germany, Italy and Hungary, the wine produced from this grape is a full-bodied dry white wine while in Germany and Austria they can be either dry or sweet.[1] One of the components of the wine Vin Santo can be Pinot blanc.[1]
In France the grape is often blended with Klevner and Auxerrois grapes to give it a more alsacian flavor.[2]
Names in other regions
Pinot blanc's name varies by region. In Austria it may be bottled as Weissburgunder or Klevner. Hungary calls it Beli Pinot and in Spain and Italy, Pinot Bianco.
External links
References
- ^ a b c L. Brenner, Fear of Wine, p. 69 (1995) ISBN 0553374648
- ^ http://www.terroir-france.com/region/alsace_pinotblanc.htm
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