ALTERNATIVE VITICULTUREWINEMAKINGVITICULTURE VARIETIES

Pinot Blanc: a white with a big future at Paracombe By Paul Drogemuller, Owner/Founder/Chief Winemaker, Paracombe , Adelaide Hills, South Australia

PINOT BLANC

By Peter Dry, Emeritus Fellow, The Research Institute

BACKGROUND producers in Australia (Victoria, South Unti l the end of the 19th century, Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania Pinot Blanc (PEE-no BLONK) was and Western Australia). oft en confused with — VITICULTURE therefore any menti on of Pinot Blanc prior to that ti me is unreliable. Like Budburst and maturity are early. , it is a colour mutant of Vigour is moderate to high with semi- . Synonyms include Clevner, erect growth habit. Bunches are small Klaevner (Alsace), Weisser Burgunder to medium and compact with small (Germany) and Pinot Bianco (Italy). berries. Yield is moderate (higher than The global area planted (2010) was Pinot Gris). Spur pruning is used in 14,742ha (Germany has 26%, Italy Australia. In both and Australia, 21%, Austria 13%). There are also suscepti bility to botryti s bunch rot is signifi cant areas in the Czech Republic, higher than average. There is clonal variati on for both bunch size and Paracombe Wines’ straight , Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine Pinot Blanc has been well received, and Moldova. The area in France compactness and suscepti bility to along with its five-varietal white blend, increased to 1565ha at the end of the bunch rot. Grüner V5, of which Pinot Blanc is an 1980s but has since declined slowly WINE importantlove component. of alternati ve aromati c to approximately 1300ha in 2010. In white wines brought me to France, there is litt le grown outside Wines of Pinot Blanc have moderate structure, similar to Pinot Pinot Blanc. My involvement Alsace, where it is regarded as a with this workhorse variety, and less regarded Gris but with more freshness and delicacy. They may also have higher Avariety came about five years ago after a than Pinot Gris. In Italy it is used for acidity than Pinot Gris. Descriptors lucky opportunity to acquire some dry , mainly in the north east. In Germany the largest areas include apple, pear and white fl owers. callused sti cks, which we planted on our In Alsace, wines labelled as ‘Pinot family at Paracombe in are in Baden, Pfalz and Rheinhessen. In Austria it is oft en blended with Blanc’ are oft en blends with , SouthAustralia’s Adelaide Hills. Sylvaner or Auxerrois. Pinot Blanc may It was a leap of faith and the right Welschriesling and used for both dry and sweet wines. In California, also be used in sparkling wines such decision. Pinot Blanc has been a dream Pinot Blanc is not as popular as Pinot as Cremant d’Alsace. to grow in our cooler, good rainfall Gris, but it is widely planted, used For further informati on on this and other climate of the Adelaide Hills. From for both sti ll and sparkling wines. It emerging varieti es contact Marcel Essling planti ng the sti cks to now, it’s been is also grown in Oregon and Briti sh ([email protected] or 08 8313 exciti ng and trouble free, supported by Columbia. The fi rst commercial 6600) at The Australian Wine Research the variety’s generous but controlled planti ng of Pinot Blanc in Australia Insti tute to arrange the presentati on of the vigour quality. Compared with other may have been in the Yarra Valley in Alternati ve Varieti es Research to Practi ce varieti es, I have found it has a very 1997. There are now at least 17 wine program in your region. good open and upright canopy with a well-balanced bunch weight. Our Pinot Blanc is planted on the V33N4 WINE & VITICULTURE JOURNAL SPRING 2018 www.winetitles.com.au 65 cooler, steeper, southern aspect of our vineyard with rows planted in a north- south orientati on at a density of 900 vines per acre. These slopes are well