PINOT GRIGIO GENETICS

Pinot Grigio is grown throughout the world – generally in cool climates.  The grape is the same whether called Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, and Grauburgunder (Germany).

The name means grey pinot.  The skins are a grayish-red, but not as red as family member – Pinot Noir.  Pinot Blanc (white) is on the other side of this grape family.  Pinot Grigio, between these two noble siblings, is genetically unstable.

In our vineyard, in the area planted to Pinot Grigio (approx 10,000 vines), we have a dozen plants bearing only white grapes – sample harvest in 2005 revealed they taste just like Pinot Blanc – so must be!.  There are at least a dozen vines where one cordon grows white grapes and the other cordon, on the same plant, grows red grapes - or the two colors are present on the same cordon (Vine Picture).  We have found clusters that are part white grapes and part red (Cluster Picture).  And in the 2004 harvest, we found a grape that was half red and half white (Berry Picture).  Can’t tell if there are some red grapes in the vineyard on the Pinot Noir end of the spectrum!   Go figure!  Makes things interesting!

We have about 12, out of 15,000 vines, that are 100% white vines.  We picked these grapes separately in 2005, and fermented them dry in a demijohn.  The result tasted like Pinot Blanc.  As a result, we took cuttings from these vines and will graft over about 200 vines from Pinot Grigio this year.  Hopefully, the resulting white wine can be used in our Bianco blend in place of Chardonnay, thus allowing us to grow all the grapes for that blend in our vineyard.

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