Pinot Gris was a spontaneous mutation of Pinot Noir in the Middle Ages and typically is grown where Pinot Noir thrives. Until the 18th and 19th centuries, it was a popular variety in Burgundy and Champagne but due to low and inconsistent yields it lost favor and was mostly replaced by Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the 20th century, nurseries in Alsace and Germany were able to develop clonal varieties that produced more consistent yields. Similar to Sangiovese, Pinot Gris skins contain astringent quercetin glycosides which are the plant's auto-defense mechanism to protect itself from ultraviolet rays. Although quercetin is believed to have antioxidant health benefits, astringency is not desirable in a delicate white wine. We've noticed that when Pinot Gris clusters are grown in full sunlight, the skins turn a russet color—research has shown that they have up to seven times the quercetin glycosides concentration as compared to shaded fruit—and the wine produced may have some astringency. Pinot Gris clusters grown in dappled sunlight develop very dark skins and are almost indistinguishable from ripe Pinot Noir. Over the years we've developed an elaborate Navarro trellis where the vine's shoots are spread and form an umbrella shape that helps protect the fruit from direct sunlight.

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