Pinot gris

Pinot gris (pronounced “PEE-no gree”) grapes have a ruby red skin and white flesh so in order to preserve the white wine color, the skins are removed very early in the winemaking process, leaving only the white pulp and juice. Related to Pinot noir, Pinot gris is an utter accident– a result of a genetic mutation that happened in someone’s Pinot noir vineyard where clusters of grapes developed with less color, creating Pinot gris. (Pinot noir grape genes are a little unstable and have also mutated into Pinot blanc.)