We produced our first Pinot Blanc wine from purchased grapes in 2012; after a couple of vintages we became fascinated with the variety, so we ordered vines for planting at Navarro in the spring of 2016. Similar to Pinot Noir, the vines bud out early, ripen the fruit early and feature cone-shaped clusters with small berries. But we were surprised that the Blanc clusters are considerably larger and can contain almost double the amount of berries—admittedly the Pinot Noir clones we selected for red wine typically produce small clusters. This is our 11
th vintage producing Pinot Blanc and the first vintage to run with the Anderson Valley appellation on the label.
A Pinot Blanc vine the day of harvest. Pinot Blanc berries are small and similar to Pinot Noir, but the Blanc clusters are wider and longer as well as a lighter color.