Description
Pinot Gris is the French name for Pinot Grigio and in Alsace produces a fuller wine than ‘run of the mill’ Italians.
Pinot Gris, one of the ‘noble grapes’ of Alsace is less stylistically defined than Riesling or Gewurztraminer. It is generally a full-bodied, round and balanced wine with moderate acidity. Pinot Gris was once a dry wine, but many winemakers now tend to bottle with some residual sugar.
Frederick Blanck, speaking for a new generation of winemakers, put the Pinot Gris situation into perspective. “Nobody really knows yet how great Pinot Gris can be. It is a tough variety to grow; with a big crop you get good fruitiness and high acidity, and with a small crop you get great complexity but high alcohol…. In the future, we and many others in Alsace will be making more dry-style Pinot Gris.”