This Refreshing White Wine Is Pinot Grigio’s Lesser-Known Cousin

Pinot Blanc (or in Italy, Pinot Bianco) tends to be medium-bodied, with moderate acidity and flavors that suggest orchard fruits—think nectarines, peaches, pears). It’s far less popular than its widely grown cousin, Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio). But that’s a shame. At a baseline level, Pinot Blanc makes wines that are just as easy to drink and easy to pair with food, and at the upper levels, complex whites that can age in a cellar for years.

You’ll find Pinot Blanc grown in Germany and Austria (as Weissburgunder), in France’s Alsace region, in northern Italy as Pinot Bianco (particularly in Alto Adige), and even, in small amounts, in the U.S. It’s in the same family as Pinot Noir, like Pinot Grigio; the skins are just pale green as opposed to red/purple.

Odds are, you’ve had Pinot Noirs and Pinot Grigios before, perhaps many times; why not branch out to one of the eleven excellent Pinot Blancs here?

2023 Domaine Christophe Mittnacht Terres d’Étoiles Alsace Pinot Blanc ($18)

There’s terrific concentration of flavor in this Alsace blend of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Auxerrois, yet the wine remains fresh and lively — a kind of magic trick of balance.

2023 Weingut Dönnhoff Weissburgunder Trocken ($20)

Dönnhoff’s top Rieslings are legendary, but the winery’s affordable Pinot Blanc (or Weissburgunder, as this is Germany) is an elegant introduction to its wines. It’s brisk and citrusy, more tart than versions from Austria or Italy’s Alto Adige, with a slate-stony finish; if your palate is taking a nap, this white is the alarm clock you need to wake it right up.

2022 Famille Hugel Cuvée Les Amours Alsace Pinot Blanc ($20)

This Alsace Pinot Blanc, with its creamy, rich texture, distinct hints of honeysuckle, and lusciously ripe pear character, is full-bodied enough for something like a roast chicken — or a classic Alsatian tarte flambée.

2023 J. Hofstätter Alto Adige Pinot Bianco-Weissburgunder ($20)

Hofstätter’s top wines are among the best whites of northern Italy, and even their more affordable cuvées are formidably good. Case in point, this fragrant white, with its juicy orchard fruit and tangerine flavors.

2023 Heidi Schröck & Söhne Weissburgunder ($23)

In Germany and Austria, Pinot Blanc is known as Weissburgunder, and Austrian producer Heidi Schröck makes a stellar version. It lifts off with ripe orchard fruit and sweet citrus notes, ending on a lightly salty, mineral note. 

2023 Kettmeir Alsace Pinot Bianco Weissburgunder ($25)

Kettmeir, founded in 1919, relies on a group of 60 or so local growers for its grapes. This impressive Pinot Bianco is crisp and focused, with notes of springtime flowers and white peaches.

2023 Kellerei Terlan Pinot Bianco ($26)

A springtime fragrance of fresh herbs and flowers lifts from the glass with this Alsace white, and is followed by mouthcoating, tingly, lime-zesty flavors that linger appealingly. It’s an impressive wine for the price.

2022 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Turckheim Alsace Pinot Blanc ($32)

Alsace’s Olivier Humbrecht is a brilliant farmer and winemaker, which shows in this spicy, savory, hard-to-put-down white. It’s rich with ripe pear and peach flavors, accented with a faint hint of smoke.

2023 Dutton-Goldfield Dutton Ranch-Shop Block Binot Blanc ($33)

There’s not much Pinot Blanc in California, but it does exist. This apricot-scented white comes from vines in a cool section of Sonoma County and offers an intriguing California spin on the variety.

2022 Alois Lageder Versalto Pinot Bianco ($34)

Pinot Bianco vines grown in different types of soil and different Alsace microclimates provide the grapes for this crisp, lightly peppery-herbal white. The flavors are concentrated but the wine is light and vivid, and ends on a stony note.

2021 Alma Rosa La Encantada Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Blanc ($38)

Winemaker Samra Morris makes a number of compelling Pinot Noirs, but this straw-hued, jasmine-scented white is a sleeper in her portfolio. It’s medium-bodied, with citrus and golden apple flavors.