Types of Wine: Pinot Gris Wine
Oregon has taken the world by storm establishing a brand of Pinot Gris that is virtually unmatched for polish, quality, depth and assurance in the pinot gris market. The terroir of the Oregonian fruit has stamped Oregon as a global wine presence for this blend. Washington state, with California and Oregon has completed the Pacific Northwest hat trick of Pacific winemaking to bring serious global hegemony to the Pinot Gris universe.
Grapes traveling from the Old World to the New found friendly slopes and happy soils in the West Coast cooler region of North America. But almost every European continent and country has its own name for Pinot Gris, grown regionally with customized flavor profile and color and taste signatures. Pinot Gris seems to be the grape everyone nationally has enjoyed in some part without being part of the name brand renown of other grapes and blends.
Alsace, France, Australia, Germany, and Italy (even Hungary) have claimed the bulk of the historic Pinot Gris glamour, using floral and acidic notes and developed signature dryness to form the various types of Pinot Gris worldwide. Colors, dryness, sweetness, and mouth feel can signal to experienced tasters which Pinot Gris wine has feet in both Old World and/or the New.
The microclimates and strategically placed terroir position in Washington and Oregon have established these Pacific Northwest powerhouses as world leaders in Pinot Gris production. Growing seasons and protective viniculture make for some carefully herded grapes and sweet and dry blended quality come Gris making time. Pinot Gris is paired (in the tradition of local foods to the wine growing) with Italian clams in pasta and fresh fish like halibut, sea bass, red snapper, and calamari.
The fourth largest domestically consumed grape, (vitis vinifera) enriches the industrial wine presses of the Pacific Northwest at a rate which indicates more blends and exploratory hybrids will develop further. A tight cluster that defies all but the best nursing efforts grows in protected terroir and long ripening vine weather yet marshals more residual sugar to bring acidic tang or high alcohol to its tasters. Pinot Gris also blends with Pinot Noir to enhance flavor, finesse, and body.
Pinot Gris has established an option for Chardonnay sippers and Cabernet imbibers who want to flex their analytical tasting muscles. Pinot Gris might be lightly blended with Chardonnay or other grapes to heighten flavor and body.
Pinot Gris challenges wine fans to explore the darker grape Pinot inside its won cult of wine enthusiasts. Pinot Gris is formerly/alternately the Italian Pinot Grigio from the Old World. But unique Washington and Oregonian soils, microclimates, and techniques make a new presence from an old standby wine.
Pinot Gris is another example of New World "encroachment" on Old World categorical terroir. Classical Pinot Grigio from Italy usually cements its stamp on the wine world by effacing old world grapes with long finish, smooth aging, and bouquet of unmatched botanical and intense minerality, with a mouth feel of earthy heat.
Washington state is now one of all 50 making wine. The Yakima Valley, Willamette and Columbia River Valley make some surprisingly and rewarding tasting wine experiences. Alsatian Pinot Gris may claim brand mentality inside the wine world, yet the Pacific Rim purple grape wine attracts an accelerating consumer fan base for new and old wine fans alike.
Washington has captured the market in domestic Pinot Gris while the import market from the Old World remains healthy. Oregon as well produces the light floral or heavily mouth filling varieties of the Pinot Gris animal.
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