pinot gris vs. pinot blanc

[barnesy]

What is the difference between pinot gris and pinot blanc?

Barnesy

[RAD]

According to the _Oxford Companion To Wine_, pinot blanc is a white mutation of pinot gris (pinot grigio in Italian; sometimes known as Malvoisie in the Loire or Tokay in Alsace), which is itself a mutation of pinot noir. Pinot blanc is often very similar to chardonnay. Pinot blanc grapes are greenish yellow; pinot gris are anything between greyish blue and brownish pink; and pinot noir, of course, are purplish blue.

Others here, no doubt, know this and more from memory, but your question intrigued me so I looked it up.

RAD

[Innkeeper]

They are different grapes, as different from each other as they are from their cousin pinot noir. Pinot blanc is one dimensional sort of like chardonnay. Like chardonnay that one dimension can be quite good under certain growing or wine making conditions. More often it has to be jazzed up with oak, malolactic fermentation, or other gimmicks to give it more dimensions. Pinot gris, aka pinot grigio, though a "white" grape is more like pinot noir in that it has multi dimensions. It is sometimes compared to riesling for the same reason. You can take three Italian Pinot Grigios from three different regions, and they can be quite different. Same thing when you compare that from Alsace with your ones from Oregon. Now Roberto has found a motherload of Argentine Pinot Gris that is something else again.

[Innkeeper]

You beat me RAD, but mine was from the weak grey matter, and had to use the dictionary a lot.

[RAD]

IK, I suspect you beat me most ways when it comes to wine. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]

RAD

[Innkeeper]

Did mean to mention that pinot blanc does have one outstanding iteration in a little ditty called Cremant d'Alsace. This is hard to find, but one of the nicest sparklers in the world; especially as an aperitif.

[Bucko]

I find PG much more complex than PB, more ageable, but that said, PB makes a nice summer quaffer with light fare.

Bucko

[chittychattykathy]

IK, I love a little Cremant d'Alsace on our rare, but beautiful, hot summer days here in Seattle.