I recently had a Pinot Noir Blanc from Holloran Vineyard Wines in Oregon. Not to be confused with the Pinot Blanc grape, Pinot Noir Blanc is a white wine made from the familiar, red Pinot Noir grape.
How do you get white wine from a red grape? More on that shortly.
I called Holloran to learn more and was pleasantly surprised when I was connected with Mark La Gasse, the winemaker. We discussed a lot in 15 minutes and from that simple courtesy extended me, I’ll soon be looking for other Holloran wines.
It’s not the first time I’ve done this. I’ve called many wineries over the years and usually have had exceptionally interesting talks. I heartily suggest that when you have a question, complaint or compliment about a wine, give the winery a call. Most tasting room hosts have the answers, though you may get shuffled around until you find someone else in the know.
If you’re lucky, you may get the winemaker.
If she or he is not busy (don’t call during harvest season), most winemakers and vineyard managers very much enjoy discussing their craft, their experience, and their products.
All grapes, red or white, have white juice. You can check this out yourself. Buy some red grapes at the grocery store and gently squeeze one (after you get home). You’ll see white juice run from it.
The red color in red wines comes from the red grape skins. After pressing the grapes, the juice is left on the skins for anywhere from just a few hours (to yield very pale rosés) to 3 or 4 weeks, producing deep, dark red wines.
It’s very time intensive, and thus expensive, to make a truly white wine from a red grape. Typically, once the grapes are lightly pressed, many workers are needed to prematurely remove the grapes to ensure the juice doesn’t come in contact with the skins.
Holloran does it differently. La Gasse explained they simply capture the juice from the sorting tables as the grapes head to the press. Just tumbling around on the conveyer is enough to release a very small amount of “free run juice,” which is then captured before pressing. That juice, as you’d expect, is produced in very small amounts. It’s worth it.
If you can find it, try Holloran’s Pinot Noir Blanc. Or any winery’s white wine made from a red grape, just for the new experience. And definitely get in the habit of calling a winery once in a while. You never know where it might lead or what you might learn!
Ernest Valtri of Buckingham is a sculptor, graphic designer, and a former member of the PLCB’s Wine Advisory Council. Please contact Erno at ObjectDesign@verizon.net.
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