What In the World is Pinot Gris?

Pinot Gris (or Tokay Pinot Gris) is a white wine grape of species Vitis Vinifera related to Pinot Noir which goes by a lot of other names:

Pinot Grigio (Italy)
Pinot Beurot (Loire Valley, France)
Ruländer (Austria and Germany, Romania, sweet)
Grauburgunder or Grauer burgunder (Austria and Germany, dry)
Grauklevner (Germany)
Malvoisie (Loire Valley, France and Switzerland)
Tokay d'Alsace (Alsace) (currently being renamed due to EU regulations)
Auxerrois Gris (Alsace)
Fromentau (Langudoc, France)
Fromentot (France)
Fauvet (France)
Gris Cordelier (France)
Grauer Mönch (Germany)
Monemrasia
Crvena Klevanjka (Croatia)
Sivi Pinot (Slovenia)
Szürkebarát (Hungary)

"Pinot" means "pinecone" in French, and "gris" means gray. The grapes grow in small clusters (hence the pinecone shape), and upon ripening, often display a pinkish-gray hue, although the colors can vary from blue-gray to pinkish-brown.

Pinot Gris is called Pinot Grigio in Italy, and the grape is grown in many regions, although, arguably, most successfully in Alsace (France), Italy, Germany, and Oregon. In the United States, Pinot Gris has recently supplanted Sauvignon Blanc as the most popular white wine grape next to Chardonnay.

Pinot Gris produces wines that are generally fruity in aroma, with flavors of honey, apple, pear, vanilla, oak, and citrus. The flavors can vary from region to region, but a good Pinot Gris will display crisp acidity, balanced with silky sweetness, resulting in a complex array of flavors on the pallet. Pinot gris goes well with foods typically associated with white wines, including fish, seafood, chicken, pork, and Asian cuisine.

Pinot Gris is thought to have originated in the Burgundy region of France, and was planted in Northern Europe for many years before making its way to Oregon in the 1960's. The grape is presently grown in many different areas, but prefers the relatively cool climate of places like France, Germany, Italy and Oregon, where the long (but not too hot) summer days mingled with cool autumn weather bring the grapes into perfect ripeness.

Pinot Gris grapes grown in Italy (Pinot Grigio) usually produce a somewhat wanting, light-colored wine with crisp acidity. German Pinot Gris tends to be medium-bodied, with good balance between sugar and acidity. Grapes grown in Oregon tend to produce a wine that is medium-bodied, exhibiting strong fruit flavors and aromas and superb crispness. Pinot Gris produced from grapes grown in the Alsace region of France has proven to show full-bodied, floral flavors, and a deep viscosity with a long-lasting finish.

Pinot Gris made from grapes grown in other regions can also be delicious, but generally don't deliver the same excellent qualities that people have come to expect from wines made in the regions listed above. California is one area where Pinot Gris is grown, but the wines made there tend to be flabby, losing their complexity due to the warmer weather. In fact, Pinot Gris produced in California is often called Pinot Grigio because of the similarity in style to the wines from Italy.

Technorati: Wine