Pinot Blanc shouldn't exist, but it does and I am going to embrace it with a bear hug here in California. Chardonnay is the cream of the crop here in the northern part of the state; it is easy to drink, reliably buttery, crisp and it is also tiring to the point of exhaustion. Looking for something new, Nick and I took the cellars of Hayes Valley looking for just that. At first glance this "Pinot Blanc" looked a bit off, a hybrid that seemed too "experimental" to the habitual American White Wine drinker.
Pinot Blanc does indeed flourish in eastern France and is highly sought after in Central Europe. The Pinot Noir grape mutated to transform itself to Pinot Gris and eventually Pinot Blanc. Recognized since the 19th Century, vintners in Alsace and Burgundy have produced this delicate grape appeasing the palettes of it's consumers. Pinot Blanc has been ignored in California due to its lack of pomp and glamour that its competitor Chardonnay dominates. Pinot Blanc has a finesse and airy mineral appeal that I greatly appreciate in French whites. Chardonnay can often be too buttery and overaged in oak barrels destroying the delicate nature of the grape.
If you happen to chance upon a bottle of pinot blanc take pleasure in pairing it with white fish, or butter based chicken dishes, or even a Sunday Brunch.
I wish I knew more about wine.
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