🍇 Pinot Blanc

Pinot Blanc is a white wine grape from France. According to the VIVC catalogue, it is a mutation of Pinot Noir: a chance change in the vine that made the berries lose their dark colour. That is why, unlike crosses, it has no full pedigree. It has 131 synonyms, the best known being Weißburgunder in Germany and Austria and Pinot bianco in Italy.

The grape keeps gaining ground in Germany: according to the German Wine Institute, Weißburgunder's share grew from 0.9 % of vineyards in 1970 to 6.1 % in 2024. According to VIVC, Italy had 5,126 ha of it in 2000, Austria 1,995 ha in 2010 and France 1,292 ha in 2009.

In Alsace the grape is allowed both for still wines and for sparkling crémant. Crémant d'Alsace undergoes its second fermentation only in the bottle, rests on the lees for at least 9 months and goes on sale no earlier than 12 months after bottling. Interestingly, under the AOC Alsace rules, a wine labelled “Pinot blanc” may also contain Auxerrois. Pinot Blanc is not allowed for late-harvest wines, though.

The grape matters for other sparkling wines too. In Franciacorta it makes up no more than 50 % of the blend, and in England Pinot Blanc is one of six grapes allowed for PDO sparkling wine.

Why it matters to you. Weißburgunder, Pinot bianco and Pinot blanc on a label are the same grape, and an Alsace “Pinot blanc” can be a blend with Auxerrois. Like most whites, Pinot Blanc is best served at 4–10 °C and stored lying down, in the dark.