New Zealanders’ love affair with Pinot Gris shows little sign of abating – at least that’s what I thought until very recently. Popular in Germany, Alsace and Italy, the variety has spread like wildfire here – from 130 hectares of bearing vines in 2000 to 2790 hectares in 2023 – and today ranks as our third most extensively planted white-wine variety, trailing only Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
Government Viticulturist Romeo Bragato praised Pinot Gris in 1906 (“in the far north it is an early grape, bears heavily and produces an excellent white wine”), but Pinot Gris later fell out of favour with most growers because of its tendency to crop erratically. The tide started to turn in the 1980s, when the arrival of new clones boosted wine quality. Good Pinot Gris couples the satisfying weight and roundness of Chardonnay with some of the aromatic spiciness of Gewurztraminer.
But has interest in Pinot Gris peaked? I recently asked the winemaker at a prominent winery in Central Otago why Chardonnay was finally making a significant impact in the region, so long after Pinot Noir. He stated “it was the rise in popularity of Pinot Gris 15-20 years ago” that hampered early Chardonnay plantings in the region.
His winery has just released its first Chardonnay for many years. “We have noted an easing of demand for Pinot Gris over the last few years, so it was prudent, and far more exciting as a winemaker, to get some Chardonnay back in the ground.”
Pinot Gris is still very hard to beat as a source of lively, flavoursome, medium to full-bodied wines, often with a sliver of sweetness, that offer popular, easy drinking. The best wines are full of personality.
BEST BUYS
Anna’s Way Marlborough Pinot Gris 2021 4 stars $18
Awatere River Marlborough Pinot Gris 2020 4.5 stars $24
TREAT YOURSELF
Hawkshead Central Otago Pinot Gris 2022 5 stars $34
Quartz Reef Central Otago Bendigo Pinot Gris 2022 5 stars $33