Acreage increased from 69 acres in 1984 to more than 700 acres by 1994, and it is now the third most widely planted variety there. Most examples of Oregon Pinot Gris are bone dry, and most go through malolactic fermentation, which imparts a rich, buttery texture. But while it's safe to say that Pinot Gris is probably Oregon's most consistently excellent white wine, California growers and winemakers might justifiably quibble with Lett's insistence that Pinot Gris doesn't fare well outside Oregon. Long Vineyards was the first Napa Valley winery to produce a Pinot Grigio, which is the Italian name for Pinot Gris. Some producers, especially in Alsace, leave a little residual sugar to overcome the lack of depth.
Plans call for additional vines to be both grafted and planted over the next several years.
These vineyards represent some of the original plantings of Pinot Gris in Oregon and include the two most highly regarded clones of this varietal. Alsatian Pinot Gris Alsatian Pinot Gris, consistently one of the best examples of the variety, is traditionally fermented in stainless steel or neutral oak ovals, and rarely sees much oak beyond that. Its sturdy character and deeper flavors, compared to Pinot Gris from other countries, are a result of different soils and much older vines. The wine's name in Alsace is variously rendered as Pinot Gris, Tokay-Pinot Gris and Tokay d'Alsace. Rather, it was what the grape was first called when it was supposedly brought to Alsace from Hungary in the 1600s by Baron Lazare de Schwendi, an Imperial general whose forces captured the Hungarian town of Tokay from Turkish invaders.