Pinot Blanc

Discover the Alsace Pinot Blanc appellation

Also known as "Klevner" (an old Alsatian name, not to be confounded with another one called the "Heiligenstein Klevener"), the Alsace Pinot Blanc appellation actually comes from two different grape varieties that are often blended together: the Pinot Blanc et the Auxerrois Blanc. Combined, they produce a white wine that's rich and dynamic, with diverse aromas ranging from peach to citrus.

The Pinot Blanc was officially recognized in 1896 as an offshoot of the Pinot Noir grape variety, instead of a simple member of the Chardonnay family (as many used to think at the time). Nowadays, the Pinot Blanc occupies a bit more than 20% of the entire Alsace vineyard. That's 3,000 hectares out of approximately 16,000 hectares in total.

The soils favored by the Pinot Blanc is a mixture of limestone, granite, sandstone, shale and gneiss (the last two are metamorphic rocks). The weather doesn't have a huge impact on the Pinot Blanc, since it's not a very demanding grape variety and can withstand the cold winters of the Alsace region. As a bonus, it also has a quite nice and regular yield.

Check out the Pinot Blanc d'Alsace.