Pinot Gris - A Wonderful Grape Mutation

Pinot Gris is a grape varietal that is a mutation of the Pinot Noir grape. The Pinot Gris vine appears similar to the Pinot Noir, but it produces a grape that is coppery gray instead of the dark violet of Pinot Noir. In fact, the only certain method of differentiating the vines is by the fruit that they produce. Researchers have found that the DNA structure of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are virtually identical.

The Pinot Gris grape produces a delicious white wine with a rosy platinum color. This wine captures a perfect balance of acidity, fruit flavor and sweetness.

Local Events Website

If you've got a moment, check out Local Wine Events.



It's a great site that lists wine events for just about any state, country or region. Plus, they send out a Weekly Newsletter called The Juice which will notify you of upcoming events in your area.

Oregon Pinot Harvest Delayed by Weather

The Pinot Gris harvest in Oregon's Willamette Valley was set back even further by rain, and even some hail last weekend. On Sunday alone, it rained over an inch in parts of the Willamette Valley. It also hailed in various locations. While any widespread damage to the grapes is unknown at this point, the continued cool, soggy weather can't be good for the grape development at this late stage.

Grapes need to attain a certain sugar level (measured in Brix) to achieve proper ripening and balance.

Definitive Wine Guide

If you need to educate yourself on the finer qualities of our fermented friend, check out this Wine Guide Video. You will discover all you need to know about foreign wine.

Speaking of "Fermented Friends", don't say I didn't warn you!

Wine Website For Sale

I wanted to let you all know that my Pinot Gris website (PinotGris.Biz) is up for sale. It is full of great, original wine content written by me. It also currently ranks highly with the major search engines:

#3 overall on Yahoo for Pinot Gris (search)
#4 overall on MSN for Pinot Gris (search)
Page Rank = 1 (Google)

I am asking $250 for the site, perhaps less to someone who just wanted the domain name. If I don't sell right away, I will continue to promote it.

My site is worth $282.
How much is yours worth?

If interested, please reply here

Pinot Harvest Looking a Little Spotty

Due to the unusually cool summer, and the recent rainfall, Oregon's Willamette Valley wine producers are nervously biting their nails, dreading a harvest with grapes that are not fully ripened. Without the proper heat units, the grapes will not reach full maturity, although they may look fully ripe. The cooler weather will likely mean that harvests in Oregon will be delayed as much as they can be, without pushing the grapes over the edge.

Look for the next two weeks to be crucial to the '07 harvest.

Is There A Wine Recession Coming?

With the huge popularity gain for wine in the past five years, one could wonder if a recession in the wine industry is looming.

Much depends on factors in the grand scheme of things. The once-booming housing industry created much wealth for a lot of Americans, but a recent downturn in home sales has created a large-scale semi-panic in the mortgage and banking industry. The stock markets have been shaken by the idea that mortgage companies are virtually disappearing overnight. This has put into question the stability of the biggest banks, and what their exposure to these smaller (defunct) companies has been.

The wine industry is based much on excess wealth. Wine is seen by many, not as an essential, but as a luxury item that would be cut out of a budget if tough times arose. A recent look at distribution and retail inventory levels showed a large glut, sometimes in excess of 200 days worth of stock.

The ever-popular Pinot Noir seems to be immune to this kind of chatter, however. Spurned to new heights of acceptance by the movie Sideways, the "heartbreak grape" seems to be an indespensible red... a must for any cellar or pantry. The next couple of years will be crucial to the industry at the retail and restaurant level.

The Vineyard Owner

For an in-depth look at starting up your very own vineyard, check out Vineyard Owner. It's still a work in progress, but it currently sports some nice articles on Disease and Pest Management, and Climate factors.

Get Free Wine Charms

Kumala wines in South Africa is offering two free wine charms to anyone of legal drinking age who takes their survey and signs up for their newsletter. The offer is only valid in the United States.
Here's their website: http://www.kumalausa.com/fun/quiz-b.php

Wine and Housekeeping

This post is to add the Pinot Gris blog to technorati.

Technorati Profile

State Wine Laws Prohibit Growth

Thanks to overzealous state legislators, wine may only be shipped to consumers in the following states:

Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
District Of Columbia
Florida
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oregon
South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

If you don't see your state listed above, you're outta luck!
Visit FreeTheGrapes.org and contact your congressional representative to ensure free wine trade between all districts and states.