I’m confident that if you asked a casual wine drinker to name the red and white versions of "pinot" that the majority would have little trouble answering pinot noir and pinot gris. Pinot noir is by far our largest production red grape variety while pinot gris is just pipped into third place in the whites by chardonnay. Both line the shelves of every supermarket, liquor store and wine shop in the land, while also being cornerstones of most restaurant wine lists.
Pressed to name another "pinot" I’m also confident that most would struggle. Pinot meunier is a grape that many may have tried without realising it, being one of the core grapes in the Champagne blend after the more famous chardonnay and pinot noir. The 15ha of pinot meunier grown in New Zealand will be a component in our methode traditionelle wines.
The final "pinot" is pinot blanc of which there are just 10ha in production in New Zealand. Wracking my brain for producers, I managed to reach double figures, a Google search unearthed a handful more including blends, so this grape variety remains firmly in the uncommon camp.
Mention pinot blanc to a wine enthusiast and they would probably cite Alsace in France as its focal point where it is one of half a dozen white grapes to play a starring role, its more than 1000ha significant though still lagging behind gewurztraminer, pinot gris, riesling and auxerrois. The grape is probably at its apogee in Germany and Austria. With 4500ha and 2000ha respectively, it is the fifth-most planted white grape variety in both countries, while under its synonym pinot bianco there are also compelling examples produced in Northern Italy.
Typically quite full bodied, the wine often offers notes of pear, peach, tropical fruit and nuts, with citrus and spice often evident, on a core of stony minerality.
Central Otago is a bit of a hotbed for the variety and I’m delighted to showcase three of their offerings today, which are well worth seeking out.
2023 Carrick Organic Bannockburn Pinot Blanc
2023 Mount Edward Central Otago Pinot Blanc
2023 Gibbston Valley Red Shed Central Otago Pinot Blanc
