Wines made from Pinot gris grapes of New Mexico
Discover the best wines made with Pinot gris as a single variety or as a blend of New Mexico.
Pinot Gris is a grey grape variety mutated from Pinot Noir. It has its origins in Burgundy, where it is called pinot-beurot in reference to the colour of the grey robes worn by the monks of the region. Established in Alsace since the 17th century, pinot gris was called tokay until 2007. It is made up of bunches of small berries that vary in colour from pink to blue-grey. It is particularly well suited to the continental climate because it is resistant to the cold in winter and to spring frosts. This variety also likes dry limestone soils with plenty of sunshine in the summer. Pinot Gris is well suited to late harvesting or to the selection of noble grapes, depending on the year and the concentration of sugars in the berries. Pinot Gris wines are distinguished by their aromatic complexity of white fruits, mushrooms, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, etc., and their great finesse. In the Loire Valley, pinot gris is used in the Coteaux-d'Ancenis appellations. It gives dry or sweet wines with pear and peach aromas.
NewMexico is a landlocked state on the southern border of the United States, flanked by Texas to the southeast and Arizona to the west. The state covers 316,000 square kilometers of high-altitude desert between latitudes 31° and 37°. The main Grape varieties used for wine production in New Mexico are Syrah, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Zinfandel. New Mexico has three American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) within its borders, all of which are located at these high altitudes: Middle Rio Grande Valley, Mimbres Valley and Mesilla Valley (which spills over into neighboring Texas).