HIGH HOOK PINOT BLANC 2013 WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON

By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"

Pinot Blanc is a white wine grape, grown extensively in Europe, especially in the Alsace region of France; it is not widely planted in the United States. The Pinot Blanc grape is a clone of the Pinot Gris (Grigio) grape, a white grape, which is a clone of the Pinot Noir grape, a red grape. Interesting. As an aside - perhaps I'm stating the obvious - the juice of all wine grapes is white; the juice takes on color when it is exposed to the skins, a short time for Rose' wines, a much longer time for red wines. High Hook is medium-bodied, dry (not sweet; fruity, not sweet), with aromas and flavors of flowers, apple, and citrus fruit, with a hint of minerality, and enough acidity to make it refreshing. Harney's also has Pinot Blanc wines from Alsace. It would be interesting to compare those from France with High Hook from Oregon. Has the difference of terroir (climate/soil) created a difference of taste?