When I’m searching for a clean and crisp white to pair with say, lighter fish, salads, even fried foods, one of my go to wines is a Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc in the U.S.) from Italy.  Unfortunately, it’s also a wine that just seems to get “no respect,” as Rodney used to say.  That’s too bad because this is one of the most affordable, clean and crisp everyday drinking whites.

DNA testing has proven that the Pinot Blanc grape is a mutation of the Pinot Noir grape and genetically similar to Pinot Gris.  The latter, however, usually tends to have a rounder and richer texture.  The expression of the grape, in its purest form, is delicate, fresh and clean with a citrusy character of green apple, pear, melon, pineapple and hints of almond and flowers.    Pinot Blanc is grown in many regions around the globe.  Italy (Pinot Bianco), one of my favorites, usually displays a nice round body and a racy acidity.  It’s that vibrant acidity that makes food pairing so easy and the wine so cleansing.  The U.S. produces Pinot Blanc, mostly in California and Oregon.   Those from California are often made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, used to produce the famed French Muscadet.  The result, in the couple that I’ve sampled, is a wine without much personality and far too much oak.  Oregon Pinot Blanc tends to be more true to the pure personality of the grape.  Canada also produces very nice Pinot Blanc, mainly in British Columbia and Vancouver Island.

Germany (and Austria) produce fine Pinots, under the name Weissburgunder in Baden, Mosel, Nahe and Pfalz while France in the Alsace region, produces a Pinot Blanc often blended with the Auxerrois grape, a grape with that is dry, slightly floral and citrusy with a hint of muskiness.  The result, unfortunately, can be a wine that lacks some personality and is not truly representative of what the Pinot Blanc grape brings to the glass.  The Alsace region also produces their version of sparkling wine (Cremant d’Alsace), late harvest wine and even an ice wine.