Pinot
Gris is the name of a grape grown to make into a refreshing white wine
that is lighter than Chardonnay and is generally quite popular with Chardonnay
drinkers as an alternative.
The Pinot Gris grape is said to be a mutant clone
of Pinot Noir. In color, it is a grayish- white grape that may seem grayish-pink
to grayish-blue, thus the "gris" in the name- ("gris"
means grey in French).
Pinot Gris is grown for wine in Oregon in the US,
and in Italy, France, Germany, Australia, and Austria.
In Northeastern Italy, the wine is usually fermented
to dryness and is known as Pinot Grigio. The wine is dry and crisp with
a good acid bite.
In France's Loire Valley the grape is known as Malvoisie
or Pinot Beurot, while it is known in the Alsace as Auxerrois Gris or
Tokay d'Alsace. As Tokay it is often aged for several years, while most
other Pinot gris wines are made to drink upon release from the winery.
In Germany and Austria, the grape is known as Rulander
or Grauer Burgunder and it is used to make pleasant, young white wines
in the southern parts of Germany. In German settled regions of Australia,
it is grown and known by the same names.
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