Pinot gris & The Grand Tour.

Although The Grand Tour for gentlemen of a certain class and standing, didn't emerge until the beginning of the 17th Century, one little grape from Burgundy had been blazing a trail around central Europe since the mid 13th Century.

England and France are duking it out in the 100 years war;  the epically named Charles The Bad ( King of Navarre ) was inciting the Jacquerie, Martin of Aragon was busy trying to keep the Pope in Avignon, the title of Holy Roman Emperor was bouncing between The Hapsburgs, The Kings of Luxembourg and The Kings of Bohemia and Chaucer was busy with the Canterbury Tales.  Amidst this absolute chaos, particularly in France, for the clergy, it was almost 'business as usual'. Papal bulls signing off on crusades as diverse as Cyprus, Alexandria and Transylvania did little to impact the grape growing, record keeping and wine making of the Cistercian monks in Burgundy; and it is here that Pinot Gris - a mutation of Pinot Noir - first appeared.

And so, amidst the turmoil of Europe, the hero of our story sets off for pastures new. It was well known that Charles IV - Holy Roman Emperor born in Prague but de facto boss of great chunks of Europe - was a fan. Hungarian traders had introduced him to Pinot Gris, which he liked it so much that the grape took up residence under the rather charming moniker of Grey Monk (Szurkebarat) - a nod to the Cistercians, no doubt.Charles' son Wenceslaus appeared to have two great passions; booze and hunting, a combination which seldom does well together. His first wife apparently succumbed to injuries incurred by one of his wolfhounds, he kicked the bucket by having a heart attack mid hunt, but not before insulting Charles VI of France by being too drunk to attend an invitation at Reims. 

On its way, Pinot Gris pit stopped in what we now know as Germany, but was at the time, a collection of Palatinates, Electorships and Kingdoms. Here, Pinot Gris became Grau Burgunder ( Grey Burgundy ) or Grau Monch ( Grey Monk ) and it's still grown there today, often with a little residual sugar.

In 1354, good old Charles IV (HRE) popped over the Alps, not even bothering to take an army with him, and was crowned in Milan as King of Lombardy and subsequently crowned Emperor in Rome - but guess who sneaked into Italy ? Yep Pinot Gris committed another stealth move and was established in northern Italy, where the cool climate suited its style. In modern times, Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio in Italy) is a mainstay of the Veneto where it is produced in massive quantities as a fresh, high acid light style; but venture a little further north and west to Trentino Alto Adige, where in fact wine labels may still appear written in German, and you can find intriguing, more complex examples. Strong Alpine influences of altitude and latitude gives these wines real character and they are well worth seeking out.

Back in France, Pinot Gris emigrated north, where now it is recognised as one of the Alsation Noble Grapes. It thrived in the cooler climate, especially with the long dry Autumns which gave rise to the characteristic rich, generous styles still popular today. You can find examples from bone dry to rich and unctuous. Pinot Gris is grown in other parts of France. In the Loire it is sometimes called Malvoisie,  and even Languedoc, where it's known as Fromenteau/Fromentot).

With the advent of world travel, Pinot Gris has settled in numerous other countries outside Europe. It grows well in Oregon and New Zealand and formed part of the 1832 grape collection which arrived in Australia courtesy of James Busby. So whilst we may think of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay as the ubiquitous 'grow everywhere' grapes, spare a thought for Pinot Gris. Its versatility is remarkable - and so is its history. S'gilt ! As they say in Alsace.