Get to Know German-Speaking Orange Wines
Skin-contact white wines may have their revolutionary roots in Georgia, Slovenia, and Friuli, but the umlaut zone also stakes a strong claim for orange expressions. Austria…...
One of the best places to start a study of German-speaking wines isn’t Germany: it’s Austria.
Why? Because Austria’s compact size makes it easy to get a handle on geography (ski in the west, grow wine in the east, as the Austrians themselves say) and varieties (come for the Grüner Veltliner, stay for the Blaufränkisch). Although Austria’s wine history runs deep, tradition and a flair for elegance rub shoulders with dynamic experimentation and impressive stylistic diversity.
Pinot Blanc is neither a distinctive cépage nor a particular grape variety – at least, not from the viewpoint of ampelography or genetics. And what there is of pure Pinot Blanc worldwide is nearly all rendered in German-speaking growing regions where it is typically known as Weissburgunder.