Weissburgunder: It’s Pinot Blanc, Baby!
-the blanc you didn’t know you needed
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Last week was gorgeous weather-wise and I definitely had camping on my mind when I tasted the featured Bender Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). It had a hint of smoke on the palate that kept intriguing me!
I looked at the importer and said, “This would pair perfectly with chicken thighs cooked on flames – preferably a little charred!” He replied without missing a beat, “or hot dogs!”
He was right! It would pair perfectly with hot dogs! Why didn’t I think of that!
But first a little more on this confusing name for some. In German, Pinot Blanc is called Weissburgunder, which means “White from Burgundy”.
I assume it is like Pinot Gris, where it is technically a mutation of Pinot Noir?
Well, that is actually not quite right. Both are mutations of a grape variety called Pinot.
Pinot’s origins are believed to go back to Roman times, with evidence of the grape’s presence in France in the 4th century. This is quite special – it is considered an ancient grape variety!
Is that why it has mutated?
Let’s take a step back to fully explain mutations.
During a vine’s growth, random genetic mutations can occur. Many mutations are irrelevant and have no effect on the vine. Some will vary its characteristics such as its resistance to disease, the grape size, or skin thickness. Such variations are considered clones of the same variety. These clones will be classified using names or numbers, such as the Pinot Noir Clones 115 and 777 (both Dijon clones) and 375 and 386 (both Champagne clones.)
There are rare times where the mutations create vine and grape differences that are so significant as to be classified as a separate variety. This is the case where the ancient grape variety Pinot mutated significantly enough to produce very famous grape varieties like Pinot Noir, (Pinot) Meunier, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris.
A related tidbit is that Chardonnay used to go by the name Pinot Chardonnay because it too was thought to be a mutation of Pinot. However, Chardonnay, also from Burgundy, is in fact offspring of the ancient Pinot.
So, the difference is that in the case of Chardonnay, Pinot actually had a partner involved to create Chardonnay?
Exactly.
Okay back to Pinot Blanc, a mutation of Pinot originating in Burgundy. Its Italian name is Pinot Bianco.
So, to be mega clear, it is NOT the same grape as Pinot Gris.
Correct. Pinot Gris grape has a tint of blue, grey, brown, or pink. Pinot Blanc is a green grape and produces white wine.
Ironically Pinot Blanc is barely grown in Burgundy anymore, despite Burgundy being its birthplace.
In Alsace, France however, Pinot Blanc is the top planted variety as of 2021, with 60% used for sparkling wine (Crémant d’Alsace). (This statistic is very likely muddled by the fact that the grape variety Auxerrois can also be labelled Pinot Blanc.)
Now let’s cross into Germany, where I will continue to call it Weissburgunder. It is in their top 5 most planted white grapes after Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) (2021 stats).
The specific region that the featured wine comes from is Mosel. Its key influence is the Mosel River and its 2 tributaries, the Saar & Ruwer Rivers, that together make up this wine region’s impressive valley. What makes Mosel extremely special is its steep valley vineyards. They are steep, they are stony, and did I say they were steep?? Like 70% grade steep … not a typo!
That MUST pose logistical difficulties!
Absolutely, harvest is categorically done by hand – but even for humans this can be dangerous. Some producers have little open elevators to bring people up the slope. Erosion is a major problem, requiring some vineyard owners to winch soil and rocks up the slopes.
Mosel is one of Germany’s most northern and most recognized wine regions. The great majority of wines are white, and Mosel is renowned for Riesling wines, which make up the majority of its plantings.
Mosel is also where the one and only man behind the featured wine is from. He was 13 years old when he produced his first wine, based on this father’s teachings since early childhood. He spent semesters studying at the elite winemaking school in Geisenheim Germany. From there he worked with and learned from other producers in Germany, USA, France, Austria and Italy.
Well, I know feel like going ON a Bender with this wine!
Very little resistance from glass to mouth on this one, baby!
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Bender Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) 2023 from Mosel, Germany
Style: Mineral driven medium body white wine
Varieties: 100% Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder)
This harmonious wine is complex and intriguing. It has flavors of pear, apple, lemon quince, lychee, peach, cream, cheese, and a hint of biscuit, flint, and smoke. It has freshness, moderate intensity, and a very long finish.
Best pairings: Grilled seafood (shrimp, scallops or white fish), Sushi, Baked salmon, Blackened chicken, Roast chicken with peach salsa, Arugula salad with pear goat cheese, and smoked nuts, Quiche, Soft cheese: Brie or Semi-soft goat cheese served with peach chutney, AND Hot dogs!
Serving Temperature: 8-10 degrees Celsius
Serving Tips: Enjoy
Price: ~$24 Cdn
If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! I am also booking private shop appointments. No commitment or minimum purchase required. You will have Calgary’s Cork Fine Wine store in Bow Valley Square to yourself! Interested? Please reach out!
A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.
Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!
I have compiled all my wine recommendations in one place. I will do my best to keep this up to date. I also include the link(s) to the article in which the wine was featured.
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SOURCES:
Andreas Bender. Smart Wines. (2022, December 13). https://www.smart-wines.de/en/portfolio/andreas-bender/
Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
MacNeil, K. (2022) The wine bible. New York, NY: Workman Publishing.
Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2021) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
Words to the "weiss"!
It's Pinot Bianco in Italy. Blanco is Spanish, and off the top of my head I can't think of anyone who has Pinot Blanc planted in Spain.