🍷 Vin gris
Also known as: gris wine, grey wine
Dry, salmon-coloured wine from dark grapes pressed at once, as white wine is; a type of the AOC Côtes de Toul in Lorraine.
Vin gris is a dry, pale, salmon-coloured wine made from dark grapes that are pressed as if they were white. It is best known from Lorraine, where it is one of the types of the AOC Côtes de Toul.
According to the specification of this appellation, vin gris is made by white-wine vinification: the fresh grapes are drained or pressed immediately. The specification describes a bright salmon colour and a dry, light wine with good freshness and often a nose of fresh fruit.
The main varieties are Gamay and Pinot Noir, and both must be present. On an estate each may make up at most 85 % of the vines, Pinot Noir at least 10 %, and the accessory varieties Aubin, Auxerrois and Meunier together at most 15 %. The wine is a blend of grapes or wines of at least two varieties, with the two main ones in the majority.
The wine needs at least 9.5 % natural alcohol by volume and may not exceed 12 % total alcohol after enrichment. The yield is limited to 60 hl/ha. The grapes are grown in eight communes of Meurthe-et-Moselle around Toul.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Vin gris → → → 🍇 Pinot Noir → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Rosé
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ French wine
- Related to
- 🍇 Pinot Noir, 🍇 Grenache
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Rosé
Frequently asked questions
Where is vin gris best known from, and what is it?
Lorraine, where it is one of the types of AOC Côtes de Toul: a dry, pale, salmon wine from dark grapes pressed like white.
Is it true that vin gris is made from white grapes?
No. It is made from dark grapes, mainly Gamay and Pinot Noir, pressed as if they were white.
What alcohol and yield limits does the Côtes de Toul specification set?
At least 9.5 % natural alcohol, at most 12 % total after enrichment, and a yield of 60 hl/ha.
What to read next
- 🍇 Grenache — A red grape from Spain, where it is called Garnacha; the base of many wines in southern France.
- 🗺️ French wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
Similar
🍷 Blended rosé · 🍷 Weissherbst · 🍷 Clairet · 🍷 Blush wine · 🍷 Saignée rosé · 🍷 Chiaretto
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.