A Guide To The Grape Pinot Gris
Welcome to this post about the grape called Pinot Gris. A quite famous or at least well known one cultivated in central Europe, like Germany and Austria but also Italy. In the last post we covered the grape Silvaner. A really special type that has some amazing aging potential.
All these grape guides we are doing are a part of a bigger project I am doing that is meant to broaden your knowledge about the world of wine. We cover the history of the grape, the style of wine it is made into, climate and geography and lastly some places where I like to buy from.
History of Pinot Gris
A grape variety known by many different names around the world. In Italy it is called Pinot Grigio, in Germany they call it traditionally Ruländer but the more common name is Grauer Burgunder and in Hungary they call it Szurkebarat. originally from the Burgundy region in France, it has spread across many countries and regions. It has been known since the Middle Ages when it was referred to as Fromenteau. It arrived firstly in Switzerland around the year 1300.
The Emperor Charles IV was supposedly a big fan of the grape and made sure to establish many vineyards in Hungary that the monks were responsible for nurturing and looking after. In 1711 a wine merchant found a wild grapevine growing in the region of Palatinate in Germany. It was named Ruländer but later discovered to be the same as Pinot Gris. It was until the 18th and 19th century a popular grape, grown in both Burgundy and Champagne to great extent.
But with poor yields and being unreliable caused it to lose its popularity and plantings quickly disappeared. The same thing almost happened in Germany, but thankfully the winemakers were able to develop clone varieties that were more resistant and yielding greater numbers. Saving it from being left in the history books. It has been proved that the grape has a very similar DNA to Pinot Noir and the color difference is the result of a genetic mutation many centuries ago. It has since 2005 seen a great increase in popularity, much because of the New World making great wine but instead labeling it Pinot Grigio.
The Pinot Gris Style of Wine
Sometimes used as a blending component with other grapes to complement some of the aspects or qualities it might lack according to the winemaker. It is however usually made into a varietal wine that has a low level of acidity but high in sugars. A great variety that can really show off the terroir of the region with success.
Something commonly found among the wines made with the grape is pear, apples, stone fruit, tropical fruit and in some cases wet wool and some smokiness. Smokiness can often be caused by a higher level of sulfites in the wine. Aging in oak is mostly avoided to not distract from some of the natural and desired flavours. What some older producers might do instead though, is use more neutral barrels that won’t have a pronounced impact on the wine.
The effects they do have on the wine making it feel more creamy in the texture. The higher end wineries are using techniques like lees stirring and malolactic fermentation. Lees stirring has the effect of creamier wines and malolactic fermentation rounding off the sharp edge it can have otherwise. It is made into some late-harvest sweet wines that show off a more dominant flavour of tropical fruit and spices as well.
Climate And Geography
It can for sure be said that the world’s best wines made with Pinot Gris come from climates that are cooler. The warm climates have the effect of dulling the acidity that is so very needed to keep it alive and kicking. If you have read up some on climates before you might already know that cold climates tend to help maintain natural acidity in the wine.
In Germany, from either side of the Rhine, Baden and Pfalz have some good conditions for growing it. In Northern Italy though, it has made a fort of some sort for itself. In the region of Alto Adige it has found a really good balance in the climate that fits the grape. Warm days help the grape develop flavour and aroma. The colder days help retain the acidity.
The difference between this and Baden and Pfalz is that the temperature during the day is much warmer, further pushing the flavours forward. Looking to the New World, both Oregon in the USA is a good location for growing as well as New Zealand where it actually is the third most planted white grape. Growing in a limestone heavy soil will help bring out more bright acidity that otherwise might be lacking.
Where To Look For Pinot Gris
So what kind of places should I look to buy from? Well for me the choice is Alto Adige in northern Italy. The wines made here are made with true passion and a deep knowledge about what the grape needs to perform and make world class wines. The wines are bright with lots of floral notes running through it. It is actually the most widely planted grape here, for good reason.
They show great aging potential as well making them an even better choice for me at least. I really like the ones made in Germany as well. The winemakers in Pfalz and Baden just have so much experience with making good wines. They are maybe not as floral as the ones in Italy but they have a bright acidity that I like. I also want to say that they can be found in a variety of sweetness included in the Prädikat system. It can be both bone-dry to luscious sweet and rich. In Alsace, the wine named “Selection de Grains Nobles” is one of the sweetest, rich and intense wines that can be found on earth.
Last Words
That’s a wrap for this post about the grape variety Pinot Gris. A really exciting one that needs some specific conditions to really show its true potential. I really hope that you have learned something reading this post and feel more confident the next time you want to either buy more or try Pinot Gris for the first time. In the next post we will cover the grape Airen. Stay tuned for that!
