Variety
WhiteGrauburgunder
Also known as: Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Grauer Burgunder, Ruländer
Versatile Pinot variety – from slender-dry to powerful-creamy. World-class in Kaiserstuhl and Alsace.
Portrait
Grauburgunder, called Pinot Gris in France and Pinot Grigio in Italy, is a colour mutation of Pinot Noir and was already described in Burgundy in the Middle Ages. In Germany it is also called Ruländer when made sweet; in the 18th century it spread from the Upper Rhine. Baden and Pfalz are today among the largest growing areas, and in Alsace it has a long tradition.
The vine buds early and ripens early to mid-season, and requires limestone and loess soils and fairly warm sites to build structure. The reddish-grey berry skin gives the wine more colour than Weissburgunder. Made dry it yields creamy, spicy wines of low acidity, while in Alsace nobly sweet qualities are also common.
Grauburgunder pairs with poultry, pork, mushroom dishes, fish and aged cheeses, best with light oak influence.
Taste profile
Six axes — acidity, sweetness, body, tannin, aroma intensity and depth — on a 0–5 scale, based on typical style. Real wines vary by region and producer.
Typical aromas — Grauburgunder
These 5 aromas typically define Grauburgunder. Actual taste experience varies by region and style.
Pear
Apple
Almond
Honey
Almond pastry
Grauburgunder aroma families
These aroma categories are characteristic of Grauburgunder. Other varieties have different focuses.
Fruit aromas are the most common and come directly from the grape, ranging from citrus through stone fruit to black berries.
Wood and toast aromas emerge from aging in oak barriques or larger wooden barrels.
Secondary aromas from malolactic fermentation and yeast lysis, common in whites and sparkling wines.
Key regions
Grauburgunder is grown in the following regions of our atlas. Click to see wineries.
Wineries with Grauburgunder
515 curated profiles in our atlas grow Grauburgunder.
515 wineries
Weingut Dönnhoff
Nahe · Mittlere Nahe (Schlossböckelheim–Norheim) · Oberhausen an der Nahe
Riesling, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder
Weingut Keller
Rheinhessen · Wonnegau · Flörsheim-Dalsheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder (1, 5 ha)
Maison F.E. Trimbach
Elsass · Colmar & Kaysersberger Tal · Ribeauvillé
Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris
Weingut Emrich-Schönleber
Nahe · Obere Nahe & Alsenz-Glan · Monzingen
Riesling, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder
Domaine Weinbach
Elsass · Colmar & Kaysersberger Tal · Kaysersberg
Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris
Schlossgut Diel
Nahe · Untere Nahe (Bingen–Langenlonsheim) · Burg Layen
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder
Domaine Albert Boxler
Elsass · Colmar & Kaysersberger Tal · Niedermorschwihr
Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht
Elsass · Colmar & Kaysersberger Tal · Turckheim
Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Weingut Kruger-Rumpf
Nahe · Untere Nahe (Bingen–Langenlonsheim) · Münster-Sarmsheim
Riesling, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder