Pinot gris (), pinot grigio (, ), or Grauburgunder () is a white wine wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the pinot noir variety, it normally has a pinkish-gray hue, accounting for its name, but the colors can vary from blue-gray to pinkish-brown. The word pinot could have been given to it because the grapes grow in small pinecone-shaped clusters. The wines produced from this grape also vary in color from a deep golden yellow to copper and even a light shade of pink,[J. Robinson: Vines Grapes & Wines, p. 158. Mitchell Beazley 1986. .] and it is one of the more popular grapes for skin-contact wine.
Pinot gris is grown around the globe, with the "spicy" full-bodied Alsatian and lighter-bodied, more acidic Italians styles being most widely recognized. The Alsatian style, often duplicated in New World wine regions such as Marlborough, Oregon wine, South Africa, South Australia, Tasmania, and Washington, tend to have moderate to low acidity, higher , and an almost "oily" texture that contributes to the full-bodied nature of the wine. The flavors can range from ripe tropical fruit notes of melon and mango to some botrytis-influenced flavors. In Italy, pinot grigio grapes are often harvested early to retain the refreshing acidity and minimize some of the overt fruitiness of the variety, creating a more neutral flavor profile]. This style is often imitated in other Old World wine regions, such as Germany, where the grape is known as Ruländer or more commonly, Grauburgunder.[Wine & Spirits Education Trust: "Wine and Spirits: Understanding Wine Quality", pp. 6-9. Second Revised Edition (2012), London. .]
History
Pinot gris has been known since the Middle Ages in the Burgundy region, where it was probably called
Burgundy wine. It spread from Burgundy, along with
pinot noir, arriving in Switzerland by 1300. The grape was reportedly a favorite of Emperor Charles IV, who had cuttings exported to Hungary by
Cistercian : the brothers planted the vines on the slopes of
Badacsony bordering
Lake Balaton in 1375. The vine soon after developed the name
Szürkebarát "grey monk". In 1711, a German merchant named
Johann Seger Ruland rediscovered a grape growing wild in the fields of the Palatinate. The subsequent wine he produced became known as
Ruländer, although the vine was later discovered to be pinot gris.
Until the 18th and 19th centuries, the grape was a popular planting in Burgundy and Champagne, but poor Crop yield and unreliable crops caused the grape to fall out of favor in those areas. The same fate nearly occurred in Germany, but vine breeders in the early 20th century were able to develop clonal varieties that would produce a more consistent and reliable crop.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, determined that pinot gris has a remarkably similar DNA profile to pinot noir and that the color difference is derived from a genetic mutation that occurred centuries ago. The leaves and the vines of both grapes are so similar that the coloration is the only aspect that differentiates the two.[K. MacNeil: The Wine Bible, p. 745. Workman Publishing 2001. .]
Santa Margherita wine group, a wine producer located in the north of Italy, was the first company in the world in 1961 to vinification pink pinot grigio grapes as a white wine.
Around 2005, pinot gris began to enjoy increasing popularity in the marketplace, especially in its pinot grigio incarnation and similar New World varietal wines.[Wine Business Insider Pinot grigio and Pinot gris Poised to Overtake White Zinfandel 10/10/2005.]
Regions
The total area cultivated by this vine worldwide is about 115,000 hectares.
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Argentina – San Juan and Mendoza wine
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Australia – Tasmania, Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills, Orange, New South Wales, Mornington Peninsula, Canberra Region. 2,836 hectares ().
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Austria – 300 hectares or 0.6% of the total wine growing area.
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Belgium
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Canada – British Columbia, Ontario
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Chile – Casablanca, Chile
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Czech Republic – Bohemia, Moravia
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Crimea
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France – Burgundy wine, Loire, Alsace wine. 2,582 hectares ().
[ LES CEPAGES NOIRS DANS LE VIGNOBLE (pdf), Statistics on red wine varieties per major region, part 1, publication by ONIVINS, 2008.][ LES CEPAGES NOIRS DANS LE VIGNOBLE (PDF), Statistics on red wine varieties per major region, part 2, publication by ONIVINS, 2008.]
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Germany – Baden, Palatinate. 5,042 hectares or 4.9% of the wine growing area ().
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Hungary – Badacsony, Mátraalja
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Italy – Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Oltrepò Pavese, Roverè della Luna, Trentino
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Luxembourg wine
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Moldovan wine
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New Zealand – 2,488 hectares ().
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Romania – Constanța County, Jidvei
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South Africa
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Slovakia – about 285 hectares
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Slovenia – Primorska, Podravje
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Switzerland – Valais. About 214 hectares ().
[ Das Weinjahr 2008 (PDF), published by the Office fédéral de l'agriculture OFAG.]
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Turkey – Eastern Thrace, Kırklareli, Arcadia Vineyards
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United States – Oregon wine, California wine, New Mexico, Idaho wine, Michigan wine, Ohio wine, Arizona wine, Virginia wine, New Jersey, Washington Wine, Pennsylvania and New York
France
Alsace
A major grape in Alsace, grown on 13.9 percent of the region's vineyard surface in 2006,
[ CIVA website, read on September 9, 2007.] the
varietal is markedly different from pinot gris found elsewhere. The cool climate of Alsace and warm
are particularly well suited for pinot gris, with its dry
allowing plenty of time for the grapes to hang on the vines, often resulting in wines of very powerful flavors.
[Oz Clarke: Encyclopedia of Grapes, p. 172. Harcourt Books 2001. .]
Pinot gris is one of the so-called noble grapes of Alsace, along with Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and muscat, which may be used for varietal Alsace Grand Cru AOC and the late harvest wines Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles.[H. Johnson & J. Robinson: The World Atlas of Wine, p. 124. Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005. .]
Previously, the pinot gris wines produced in Alsace were originally labeled Tokay d'Alsace. In the Middle Ages, the grape was popularized in the region by Hungary traders who were introduced to the grape from Burgundy. During this time, Tokaji was one of the most popular and sought-after wines on the market, and the name was probably used to gain more prestige for the Alsatian wine. Pinot gris was believed to have been brought back to Alsace by General Lazarus von Schwendi after his campaign against the Turks in the 16th century. It was planted in Kientzheim under the name "Tokay".[K. MacNeil: The Wine Bible, p. 595. Workman Publishing 2001. .] In 1980, the European Economic Community passed regulations related to protected designations of origin (PDOs), and when Hungary started negotiations for European Union membership, it became clear that the Tokay name would have to become a PDO for the Tokaj-Hegyalja region.[K. MacNeil: The Wine Bible, p. 284. Workman Publishing 2001. .] Therefore, in 1993, an agreement was reached between Hungary and the European Union to phase out the name Tokay from non-Hungarian wine. In the case of Alsace, Tokay pinot gris was adopted as an intermediate step, with the "Tokay" part to be eliminated in 2007.
In the Loire Valley, pinot gris produces a single-variety rose wine described as gris in Reuilly AOC.
Australia
Pinot gris was first introduced into Australia in 1832 in the collection of grapes brought by
James Busby.
In Victoria, wines from the grape are labeled both Pinot gris and Pinot grigio, depending on the sweetness of wine, with the drier wines being labeled Ping
t Grigio.
[H. Johnson & J. Robinson, p. 307. Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005. .]
Germany
Grauburgunder cultivation in Germany is divided by wine-growing area as follows:
|
| 3 |
| 1,636 |
| 48 |
| 38 |
| 3 |
| 79 |
| 210 |
| 1,044 |
| 19 |
| 1,153
|
| | Saale-Unstrut || style="text-align:right" 30
|
| 41 |
| - |
| 105 |
| 4,413 |
Source: Vine area statistics, 13 March 2008, Statistisches Bundesamt, Wiesbaden 2008 in Beschreibende Sortenliste des Bundessortenamtes 2008, p. 198 ff.[ Beschreibende Sortenliste des Bundessortenamtes 2008(pdf; 507 kB) .]
Hungary
In Hungary, this variety of wine is called Szürkebarát and is produced primarily in the
Badacsony, Mátra, and Balaton-felvidék regions.
Italy
In Italy, where the grape is known as Pinot grigio, plantings can be found in the
Lombardy region around Oltrepò Pavese
[H. Johnson & J. Robinson: The World Atlas of Wine, p. 156. Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005. .] and in South Tyrol, Italy's northernmost wine region.
[H. Johnson & J. Robinson: The World Atlas of Wine, p. 167. Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005. .] The grape is also prominent in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.
[H. Johnson & J. Robinson: The World Atlas of Wine, p. 171. Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005. .]
New Zealand
Pinot gris is grown in both the
North Island, (Waiheke Island, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne) and the
South Island (Central Otago, Nelson, Marlborough, Waipara), with producing . This is a nearly eight-fold increase since 2003.
[ NZ Wine Institute Planted Area Statistics .] In 2007, Pinot gris overtook Riesling as the third most planted white variety after Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay. Half of all plantings are in Canterbury and Marlborough, with the wine developing a "rich, flinty, fruit-laden character".
[ NZ Wine Institute Aromatics Information .]
United States
David Lett from
Eyrie Vineyards planted the first American Pinot gris vines in
Oregon in 1965. Hoping to increase sales, Lett started to graft
Riesling vines to Pinot gris in 1979.
[T. Pinney. A History of Wine in America: From Prohibition to the Present, p. 328 (2005). .] The grape originally had difficulties finding a sustainable market until Lett began marketing the wine to
salmon traders as a good match to the fish. The wine's popularity only increased slightly until the mid-1990s, when well-capitalized larger producers entered the picture with enough volume to warrant expensive marketing.
In 1991, King Estate Winery was the world's leading producer of premium Pinot gris and farmed the world's largest contiguous organic vineyard, which contains over of Pinot gris grapes.
[Goode, Jamie "Oregon Wine Country," The Wine Anorak, July 30, 2008.]
There are about planted in the Central and South coastal areas of California.[ Professional Friends of Wine: Pinot Grigio .] The Pinot gris from California is often called Pinot grigio because of its similarity in style to the wine of Italy.
Pinot gris can be found in the northern regions of Ohio, which is considered part of the pinot trail.
Canada
As
Pinot Grigio the grape has found significant success particularly in the wine growing region of Niagara, Ontario, where the cooler climate and soils offer ideal growing conditions. Pinot Grigio from Niagara displays crisp vibrant acidity and delicate fruit flavours.
Viticulture
Pinot gris thrives in cooler climates, with the major growing regions being
Alsace in France, north-eastern Italy and the US state of Oregon.
This can lead to either a sweeter wine or if fermented to dryness, a wine high in alcohol. Clusters of Pinot gris may have a variety of colors on the vine. The grapes grow in small clusters (hence the pinecone name) and, upon ripening, often display a pinkish-gray hue, although the colors can vary from blue-gray to pinkish-brown.
Pinot gris is often blended with Pinot Noir to enrich and lighten the Pinot Noir's flavor.
[ Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio]
Wine characteristics
Wines made from the Pinot gris vary greatly and are dependent on the region and wine-making style they are from.
Alsace wine Pinot gris are medium to full-bodied wines with a rich, somewhat floral bouquet. They tend to be spicy in comparison with other Pinot gris. While most Pinot gris are meant to be consumed early, Alsatian Pinot gris can age well.
Pinot gris are more full-bodied with a balance of acidity and slight sweetness. In
Oregon wine, the wines are medium-bodied with a yellow to copper-pink color and aromas of pear, apple, and/or melon. In
California wine, the Pinot gris are more light-bodied with a crisp, refreshing taste with some pepper and
arugula notes. The Pinot grigio style of
Italian wine is a light-bodied, often lean wine that is light in color with sometimes spritzy flavors that can be crisp and acidic.
[K. MacNeil: The Wine Bible, pp. 60-61. Workman Publishing 2001. .]
Pinot gris is considered an "early to market wine" that can be bottled and out on the market within 4–12 weeks after fermentation.[A. Crowe Making Great Early-to-Market White Wines Wine Business Monthly, 02/15/2007.]
Synonyms
Pinot gris is called by many names in different parts of the world:
See also
