How to pour
a pinot blanc in
Place the bottle in the refrigerator for about three hours, so the wine reaches 8 to 10 degrees. Pinot blanc has little acidity, and coolness does for this wine what acidity does for riesling. Served too warm, it quickly becomes soft and broad.
Much pinot blanc and weissburgunder comes with a screw cap. If there’s a cork, cut around the capsule just below the ridge in the neck, place the spiral in the center of the cork, and turn it straight down so the cork stays intact.
Decanting isn’t necessary. Pinot blanc is a wine with subtle aromas, which become flatter rather than stronger with extra air. Place the bottle in a cooler with water and ice beside the table to maintain the temperature until the last glass.
Fill the glass to about one-third full. This leaves room above for the aroma to collect, and because there’s little wine in the glass, it doesn’t warm up. Hold the glass by the stem, not the bowl.
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The story
Pinot blanc lives in the shadow of its own family. Pinot noir gets the name recognition, pinot gris gets the attention, and pinot blanc is the wine that is simply there. In Alsace, it is the everyday glass and some of the harvest goes into sparkling wine. In Germany, it is called weissburgunder and is usually made dry; in northern Italy, where it is called pinot bianco, it is lean and neutral. Three countries, three names, always the same role: a wine that does not demand attention and therefore pairs with almost everything.
The right glass
There is no dedicated pinot blanc glass, and there does not need to be. A medium-sized white wine glass of around 40 cl does the job here: large enough to capture the modest aromas of apple, pear and almond, small enough to keep the wine cool, because with little acidity, temperature is its most important support. A wide Burgundy bowl is overdoing it. See the white wine glasses for the sizes, and the wine coolers for keeping it at the right temperature.
Zwiesel Glas Pure White Wine Glass 41 cl (2 pieces)
Onis Niveau Wine Glasses 41 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 56,85.
The right tools
For a pinot blanc, besides the glass, you mainly need a corkscrew, although much pinot blanc comes with a screw cap, and a wine cooler to keep the bottle at the right temperature. You use the bar tools below when the wine goes into a spritz or a punch: a jigger for measuring and a citrus juicer for fresh juice. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 50,80.
What do you serve alongside it?
Pinot blanc is the wine that can accompany the entire meal, but usually there is more on the table. These are the wines that come before, alongside or after it, from a glass of cava to start with to a moscato with dessert. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The same grape, three names: pinot blanc in France, weissburgunder in Germany and Austria, and pinot bianco in Italy. It is also used for sparkling wine, where its low acidity and neutral aroma work particularly well. Some producers age it in oak, making it fuller and creamier and bringing it closer to chardonnay; most do not, keeping it fresh and linear. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Servingtip
Serve at 8 to 10 degrees and keep the bottle chilled. Pinot blanc is the wine you put out when you do not know what is coming from the kitchen: it goes with chicken, white fish, quiche, asparagus, pasta with cream sauce, and young cheese, and it never overwhelms a dish. It also works as an aperitif, precisely because it does not demand attention.
Good to know
Weissburgunder and pinot bianco are the same grape
Pinot blanc is the French name, weissburgunder the German and Austrian name, and pinot bianco the Italian name. In all three cases, it is the same grape, although the style varies by country: German weissburgunder is usually dry and somewhat fuller-bodied, while Italian pinot bianco is often lean and neutral. If one of these three names appears on the label, you know what you will get in the glass.
The difference from chardonnay
Chardonnay is fuller-bodied, more pronounced, and much more often aged in oak, resulting in buttery, vanilla, and toasted notes. Compared with it, pinot blanc remains lighter, more neutral, and usually unoaked. If they come from the same producer in the same region, chardonnay is the glass you have an opinion about and pinot blanc is the glass you simply finish.
The difference from pinot gris
Pinot gris has more color, more weight, and often a hint of ripe yellow fruit or honey, especially in Alsace, where it can be quite full-bodied. As pinot grigio from Italy, it is more taut and citrusy. Pinot blanc usually falls somewhere in between in terms of weight and is the most restrained of the three aromatically.
Why low acidity is not a problem here
Pinot blanc naturally has less acidity than riesling or sauvignon blanc. This makes it softer and rounder on the palate, and it also explains why it pairs with so many dishes: there is little that can clash. The downside is that temperature becomes more important, because a glass served too warm quickly becomes broad.
How much alcohol it contains and how long you can keep it
For a dry pinot blanc, roughly 12 to 13.5 percent is common; the percentage is stated on the label. Most bottles are made to be drunk young, preferably within a year or two, because freshness is its most appealing quality. A wood-aged version may keep a little longer.
Frequently asked questions
What does pinot blanc taste like?
Soft, round and understated: apple, pear, almond and sometimes a hint of cream. It has little acidity and a subdued aroma, so it never demands center stage. That is precisely what makes it useful at the table, because there is little in the wine that can clash with a dish.
What is the difference between pinot blanc and chardonnay?
Pinot blanc is lighter, more neutral and rarely aged in wood. Chardonnay is fuller and more pronounced, and if it has been aged in wood, that adds buttery, vanilla and toasted notes. If you are looking for a wine that stands out, chardonnay is the logical choice; if you want a wine that blends in, choose pinot blanc.
What is pinot blanc called in Germany and Italy?
In Germany and Austria it is called weissburgunder, and in Italy pinot bianco. It is the same grape. The style does differ: German weissburgunder is usually dry and somewhat fuller, while Italian pinot bianco is often leaner and more neutral.
At what temperature and in which glass should you serve pinot blanc?
Between 8 and 10 degrees, in a medium-sized white wine glass of around 40 cl. Because the wine has little acidity, temperature is its main safeguard: served too warm, it quickly becomes broad. Pour to one-third and return the bottle to the fridge or place it in a cooler.
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