Pinot blanc (also known as pinot bianco), like Pinot gris, is a genetic mutation of Pinot noir that originated in Burgundy. It has been cultivated throughout Northern Europe for centuries, especially in the Alto Adige region of Italy as well as Alsace and Burgundy, where it thrives under the same vineyard conditions as Pinot noir. The decision to plant Pinot blanc at Bethel Heights in 1992 was inspired by years of success with Pinot noir on our site.

Pinot blanc was first planted in Oregon in 1967, but there are still fewer than 100 acres in production here, and only about a dozen Oregon wineries producing Pinot blanc wine.

The Pinot blanc grown in Oregon is the true Pinot blanc, imported directly from Alsace and evaluated at Oregon State University in the 1970s. It is distinctly different from the variety "Melon" which was mistaken for Pinot blanc in California vineyards until the 1980s.

The 2000 vintage: a good vintage from beginning to end. Bloom in mid-June under sunny skies set a large crop that required aggressive thinning. Sunny dry weather, not too hot, through the summer, and a shot of rain in early September kept the vines healthy through a long slow ripening period. Harvest in mid-October with no rain. The most unusual feature of the vintage was extraordinarily high sugars at harvest, with no loss of natural acidity.

Date picked: October 11, 1999
Grapes at harvest: Brix : 24.0, pH: 3.77, TA: 6.5 gr./liter
Finished wine: Alcohol 13.8 %, pH: 3.49, TA: 6.0 gr/Liter
450 Cases produced, bottled April 2001
Suggested Retail $12

Bethel Heights 2000 Estate Grown Pinot Blanc is certified LIVE for Low Input Viticulture and Enology *

Winemaker notes: For Pinot blanc our winemaking choices are made to emphasize the fruit character of this rather delicate grape. The wine is fermented cold, exclusively in stainlesss steel. It is allowed to go through partial malolactic fermentation in tank (50% in the 2000 vintage) to soften the acids, broaden the flavors, and enhance body. It is bottled in the spring following the vintage. This wine has intense ripe peach and melon flavors with a hint of honey, balanced by good acidity and a mineral edge.

Food recommendations: This Pinot blanc is a perfect choice to accompany mild fish like trout or sole, and subtler seafoods like scallops, which would be overpowerd by heavier white wines. For dessert, the fresh fruit flavors of this wine give an impression of sweetness that makes it a good match for something like fresh peach ice cream with almond cookies.