Thursday Virtual Happy Hour: Pinot Blanc

Pinot Blanc is a versatile white-wine grape variety used in the production of still, sparkling and sweet dessert wines. It is well-traveled, producing delicate white wines in Italy and Alsace to luxurious Trockenbeerenauslese in Austria and icewine in Canada. Although not the most glamorous member of the Pinot family, the variety has proven its worth in various regions, most notably Alsace in northeast France and the Alto Adige region of Italy.

The variety is often regarded as Chardonnay's understudy as it has a similar medium to full-bodied style of wine with good acidity, and responds well to oak maturation. Pinot Blanc's varietal characters include apple and almond, and sometimes a touch of smokiness, although – like Chardonnay – it is a palette for winemaker intervention, and flavors often depend on style. Pinot Blanc is a white mutation of Pinot Noir, with a smaller concentration of anthocyanins. In the vineyard, it is relatively fruitful variety giving reliable yields each growing season. Bunches of Pinot Blanc are tightly packed clusters creating vulnerability to various mildew diseases.

In Burgundy, where the grape is thought to have originated, it is still permitted in many Grand Cru vineyards.The variety is also one of the little-seen varieties permitted in the Champagne blend, playing second fiddle to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

Outside of France, Pinot Blanc is planted widely in northwest Italy, where it is known as Pinot Bianco. Here, it is made in a lighter, crisper style that rarely sees any oak intervention, and is often blended with other varieties. Pinot Bianco is also used in the production of Italian sparkling wines: most notably Franciacorta, Italy's answer to Champagne.

In Germany and Austria, the variety is known as Weissburgunder or Weisser Burgunder (literally "White Burgundy"). In Germany, its wines are usually light and refreshing, but in Austria, it can be used to make the luxuriously sweet and textured Trockenbeerenauslese. It was introduced here in the 19th Century and it is grown extensively in the eastern part of the country, particularly in Niederosterreich and Burgenland.

Pinot Blanc is also commercially produced in the United States, Canada, Argentina and Uruguay. Alcohol levels in these wines tend to be medium to high, with good acidity giving the wine a slightly sour, tart, edge. Pinot Blanc's high natural acidity makes it a popular choice in the production of sparkling wine in California, while in Canada it can be made as ice wine. Canada’s Okanagan Valley has developed a reputation as a quality region for still Pinot Blanc production.

## We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/kMZ20l4QTik?si=mirsgYp7z4qpvQKx - WSET L3 SAT tasting Note Alsace Pinot Blanc - Wine with Jimmy (7:06)
2. https://youtu.be/HlSFv5QJ4n4?si=bzeTUcOCywSh2IGz - Pinot Blanc: Pinot Grigio's Lesser Known Cousin - Full Circle Wine Solutions (5:02)
3. https://youtu.be/aNFHe8Igokc?si=y_adhf-iXpZdbEr8 - Pinot blanc: the wine geek's wine - The Register-Guard (1:52)

So, pick up a bottle and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!