The Pinot blanc is an internationally widespread variety and the youngest member of the Pinot family.It is recognisable from its delicate, often restrained bouquet and its soft acidity, that often makes it an ideal blending partner with other white Pinot varieties.
probably Burgundy, France
Mutation of Grauer Burgunder
1,847.63 ha; 4.2% of the total area under vine
White wine grape variety
Vineyard area
The area under this variety remains relatively constant in Austria.
Important ampelographic features
Important ampelographic features
Leaf
medium-sized, pentagonal, three to five lobes, less deeply lobed
Grape cluster
medium-sized, densely berried, cylindrical, shouldered, often with small secondary clusters; berries are round-to-oval, have thin skins and are yellowish-green in colour
Vine growth over the course of the year
Ripening
Ripening
Significance & conditions
Because of its somewhat subtle character, Pinot Blanc is often used in cuvée blends with other varieties and is sometimes vinified in small oak casks (barriques) using malolactic fermentation. To thrive, this variety demands a lot from the soil and its environment. Compared to Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc is more prone to botrytis because the grapes are more compact in the cluster.
Area under vine in Austria
(as a proportion of the variety’s total area)
Click on the wine origin in the list for a breakdown into more specific regions of origin.
Total area in Austria:
The Leithaberg and Neusiedlersee wine-growing regions overlap by almost 160 ha (Rieds Hausberg and Neuberg), according to the Austrian Wine Law. This means that the listed area under vine in Burgenland is 160 ha less than the actual total area across all wine-growing regions in Burgenland.
Characteristics of the wine
Characteristics of the wine
Only in good vineyards does this variety yield premium quality. Young wines have a blossomy expression and piquant acidity, while mature versions tend to develop flavours of bread and nuts. Élevage is slow and premium quality is only achieved with a longer period of bottle maturation.
Source varietal specifications: Höhere Bundeslehranstalt und Bundesamt für Wein- und Obstbau (Federal College and Federal Office for Viticulture, Oenology and Fruit Growing) in Klosterneuburg, “Austria’s Qualitätswein grape varieties and their clones“ („Österreichische Qualitätsweinrebsorten und deren Klone“), 2nd, reviewed edition, September 2015
Source area under vine: Calculation by Austrian Wine based on data from BML/IACS (as at 3 July 2024). Moving annual total (MAT) from July 2023 to July 2024.