Wines made from Pinot blanc grapes of Vin de Pays
Discover the best wines made with Pinot blanc as a single variety or as a blend of Vin de Pays.
Pinot Blanc is a grape variety that originated in Burgundy, mutated from Pinot Gris. Today, it is grown in Alsace where it is called klevner when blended with auxerrois. The continental climate, with its cold winters and hot summers, is particularly suited to pinot blanc. It is resistant to frost in winter and in summer, the roots draw the minerals it needs from the warm soil. Its bunches are made up of small berries with thick skins and melting pulp that produce fruity, spicy wines, balanced between acidity and alcohol. pinot blanc is also used for crémants and sparkling wines. Pinot Blanc is also used for Crémant and sparkling wines. It is widely grown in Italy, where it covers almost 7,000 hectares, and is also found in Germany, Austria, Canada and South Africa.
Vin de Pays (VDP), the French national equivalent of PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) at the European level, is a quality category of French wines, positioned between Vin de Table (VDT) and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). This layer of the French appellation system was initially introduced in September 1968 by the INAO, the official appellation authority. It underwent several early revisions in the 1970s, followed by substantial changes in September 2000 and again in 2009, when all existing VDT titles were automatically registered with the European Union as PGI. Producers retain the choice of using either the VDP or PGI titles on their labels, or both - in the form "IGP-Vin de Pays".
The lengthy process arriving to this point has been rife with controversy as this new DO overlaps with what has since 1998 been the named Rioja Alavesa subzone within the greater DOCa Rioja. This subzone has been part of DOCa Rioja, regarded as Spain’s pioneering denomination of origin, since its original creation as a DO nearly a century ago in 1925. The core of the issue is that nearly all of DOCa Rioja falls administratively within the Spanish autonomous region of La Rioja, with the exception ...
More than 4,000 wine professionals and enthusiasts gathered in the French capital to watch the world’s best sommeliers vie for glory. Local favourite Pascaline Lepeltier, a Master Sommelier from Anjou, was eliminated at the semi-final stage, leaving just three experts to battle for the title. Tomsons was up against Nina Jensen of Denmark and China’s Reeze Choi, all of whom were put through their paces in a series of tasks designed to test their knowledge, tasting skills, service acumen and abili ...
In the UK wine calendar, wine merchants concentrate on selling certain regions at the same time every year. For Burgundy, it’s January; Bordeaux starts in April. Others, like the Rhône, aren’t quite so specific, but merchants do seem to agree that autumn is the right time to turn their attention to this part of France. Following a number of Rhône-focused tastings, and with my full report on the 2021s coming out soon, I have tasted and rated wines that are available to buy in the UK now and my re ...