Pinot Gris Making its Mark

Pinot Gris Making its Mark in Marlborough

Image: NZW, Rapaura Springs Blind River Vineyard

When it comes to the Marlborough wine scene, Pinot Gris is a relatively new kid on the block. But it hasn’t taken long for it to make its mark in the region. 

On May 17, we’ll be celebrating International Pinot Gris Day and Marlborough’s second-most produced white wine, following Sauvignon Blanc.

Having only hit New Zealand markets in the 1990s, winemakers and viticulturists in Marlborough have been perfecting the style in recent years.  

Jules Taylor, of Jules Taylor Wines, says Pinot Gris has improved hugely over the past two decades, as both grape growers and winemakers take the variety more seriously. 

Some of Marlborough’s more recent plantings of Pinot Gris tend to produce more aromatic and flavoursome fruit than the region’s original plantings, she says. 

“Stylistically though, there are still many different renditions of the variety from big, rich, unctuous wines right through to the more minerally, drier styles. This is probably driven by, (well in my case!), winemaker preference.”

Jules’ preference is for a Pinot Gris with bright aromatics of spice and pear, one which is not too green and ‘apple-like’, or dry, depending on what she’s pairing it with. She enjoys a textural component to her Pinot Gris, achieved via wild fermentation or high solids ferment.

Rapaura Springs Brand Winemaker Michael Bann describes Pinot Gris as 'the gardener's wine'.

"By gardener I really mean Viticulturist. Pinot Gris is a wine made in the vineyard and as the Winemaker it’s about manipulating the flavours and guiding them into the glass with minimal intervention," he says.

"Pinot Gris' are generally very approachable and easy drinking wines. They often, but not always carry a touch more sweetness, but are equally balanced and not cloying, this suits many a consumer and many a scenario."

Love Block’s Kim Crawford says Marlborough’s diurnal fluctuation and relatively cool, dry climate make it an ideal place to produce Pinot Gris.

Jules agrees, saying the conditions which make the region a great place for other white, aromatic varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, also lend themselves well to Pinot Gris.

Climatically, Marlborough’s warm, dry summers that aren’t overly hot lend themselves well to Pinot Gris, which retains good acidity right up until harvest and produces lovely, delicate aromatics, Jules says.

“When grown in soils that are reasonably [consistent], the fruit flavours develop slowly over the ripening period and often get quite ripe in terms of [natural sweetness] before the flavours develop fully.”

Kim says there is now more of a reliance on using ripe fruit in the winemaking process to give Marlborough pinot gris weight than in earlier years.

Starborough Wines’ James Jones has been honing his Pinot Gris technique for the best part of a decade, and says Marlborough is ideal for the variety. 

“Marlborough has fantastic vineyard site diversity, powerful fruit driven Wairau Valley, and the floral structured, mineral Awatere Valley,” he says.

“Pinot Gris is a fantastic variety to work with … To make great Pinot Gris, it requires the same love, care and attention in the vineyard you would give to growing great Pinot Noir. If you give this love and attention it will reward you with pure, concentrated and textural wines with true character that reflect the site it is grown.” 

As with many wine varieties, Pinot Gris has varying styles, from fresh, full-flavoured drops typically from South Island Pinot Gris, through to ripe, fat, oilier styles more commonly produced in the warmer North Island regions.

Its versatility is perhaps one of its selling points for wine drinkers, and one of the reasons it has risen so much in popularity, so quickly.

“For me, Pinot Gris just doesn’t offend anyone! It is never too oaky, too fruity, too acidic, or too much of anything, so it is very approachable from a drinker’s point of view, as well as being relatively easy to match with food,” Jules says.

Do you have a favourite Pinot Gris? Which will you be raising on May 17?