2007 was our first attempt at making Mystery Creek Pinot Gris and we are very pleased with the result The grapes were harvested in Clevedon and pressed and finished at our winery. We picked up a bronze medal at the International Aromatic Competition 2007 Royal NZ Show, which saw the same level of medal awarded to the like of Amour Bendall, Lawsons Dry Hills etc. So a good start and one that we hope to build on to the future.

ABOUT PINOT GRIS

Pinot Gris has a literal  translation of “Pine cone Grey”(Pinot means “pine cone” in French & gris means “grey“) but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance. The name could have been given to it because the grapes grow in small pine cone-shaped clusters. The clone of Pinot gris grown in Italy is known as pinot grigio.

Wines made from the Pinot Gris grape vary greatly and are dependent on region and wine making style. French (mostly from Alsace) Pinot Gris is medium to full bodied with a rich, somewhat floral bouquet. They tend to be spicy in comparisons with other Pinot Gris. While most Pinot Gris are meant to be consumed early, Alsatian Pinot Gris can age well. German Pinot Gris is more full-bodied, with a balance of acidity and slight sweetness.  In New Zealand, half of all plantings are in Canterbury and Marlborough with the wine developing a “rich, flinty, fruit-laden character”.