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Pinot Bianco grapes

by | Oct 28, 2016

Pinot Bianco is the synonyms for Pinot Blanc grapes in Spain and Italy.

Pinot Bianco is a white color grape belonging to Vitis Vinifera species.

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Pinot Bianco grapes

This grape is called by different names around the world; Weissburgunder or Klevner in Austria, Rulandské bílé in Czech, Rulandské bielein Slovak and Bijeli Pinot in Croatia. The largest producer of Pinot Bianco is Italy and Germany.

In Germany 8,630 acres of land are dedicated to growing this grape. Pinot Bianco is often misunderstood with chardonnay which is yet another variety of grapes. Pinot Bianco originated at Burgundy, a wine region in France.

Today countries like Luxembourg, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia are the home of Pinot Bianco. In United States Pinot Bianco is grown in the vineyards of California. Pinot Bianco is produced by mutation of Pinot Noir variety.

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In the mutation process, the vines of Pinot Noir bear only black grapes and one white grape. Some of the famous wines made from Pinot Bianco are; Stift Klosterneuburg 2015 Jungherrn Weissburgunder(Vienna), Saint Gregory 2014 Pinot Blanc(Mendocino County), Prieler 2015 Seeberg Pinot Blanc(Südoststeiermark) etc.

Pinot Bianco is a less used table grape because the grape is specially mutated from Pinot Noir to make only wines. The demand for Pinot Bianco wines has increased with the time.

Pinot Bianco is also used for cross breeding. It is crossed with Riesling to produce Manzoni Bianco which is an Italian wine variety.

History of Pinot Bianco grape

Many people believe that Pinot Bianco has been a direct descendant of a Pinot grapes family planted since the first century. It originated from Burgundy, France and spread elsewhere.

Since 1700 AD the plantation of Pinot Bianco in France has decreased.  Currently, only about 3200 acres of land in France is used for growing Pinot Bianco.

In the Champagne region of France, this variety of grapes is still grown to blend them with champagne. However, Cremant d`Alsace is one of a popular brand of wine from Alsace region of France for many years, it was believed that Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay grapes are almost same, but it was only in 1937 when the difference was officially announced.

In Burgundy, many independent vineyard owners used to grow Pinot Blanc as a grape variety that was different from Chardonnay.

Viticulture and wine making of Pinot Bianco

The Pinot Bianco is a mutation of Pinot noir. The vines of Pinot noir were made to produce one white grape among the bunch of black grapes.

Pinot Bianco ripe early and it is harvested late. The winemaking procedure for Pinot Bianco includes; grapes are cluster pressed to produce nectar and then it is fermented with special yeasts.

The clusters used for making wine are of medium size and conical in shape. The berries of Pinot Bianco are round in size and orange in color. The leaves are 5 lobed with dark green color and have depressed veins.

Characteristics of Pinot Bianco wines

Pinot Bianco is a white wine grape variety. Pinot Bianco wines are of different variety. In Germany, it is used for making light and refreshing wine, whereas in Austria it is used for making expensive sweet and textured wine .

It completely depends on winery when it comes to making dry or sweet wines from Pinot Bianco grapes. The alcohol content in the wines made up of Pinot Blanc is about 13% by volume.

The alcohol level of wines is different for different regions. In American continent the alcohol content is kept medium-low. The sugar content in the wine is 219 grams per liter.

These wines have a sharp aroma of a flower, stone fruits, and light mineral. The acidity content in Pinot Blanc wines is more. In Italy, it is used for blending and making sparkling wines.

The taste of Pinot Bianco wines are a combination of honey, fruits like apple and walnut, mineral characteristics etc.

Food pairing with Pinot Bianco wines

The wines made from Pinot Bianco come in many varieties. The food pairing should depend on the type of wine.

The most common food pairing for these wines are baked rice and beans, cheese, salad etc. other dishes like Thai noodles, cabbages and desserts are good to go with Pinot Bianco wines.

Author

Michael Bredahl

Michael Bredahl

Wine Writer

Michael is an online enthusiast, with a lot of knowledge about online marketing. Traveling around the world to hunt for the perfect wine. Latest on Sicily, where Etna has a huge impact on the taste, which is strong with a bitter aftertaste for the youngest wines, but older wines are fantastic. Drinking wine, and writing about them, are one the passions. Remember to drink responsibly 🙂

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