A blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris

What is Pino x Pino?

Some of you may have thought this.

That's because Scout is attempting to create blends that you would never see at an ordinary winery.

Pinot x Pinot here refers to Pinot Noir x Pinot Gris.

Pinot Noir is a red wine variety that produces high-quality wines. Its low astringency and elegant flavor have captivated wine fans around the world.

In many wine-producing regions, including Burgundy in France, Pinot Noir is often made into a "single wine," meaning that it is not blended with other varieties. Many producers want to directly bring out the flavor of Pinot Noir alone, without any impurities.

However, in this Pinot x Pinot it is a mix.

Pinot Gris, the grape variety chosen to accompany it, is a variety for white wine. Gris means "gray" in English. It is named after the slightly grayish color of the skin.

The flavor of Pinot Gris is spicy and full-bodied in Alsace, France, where it originates, but in Italy (where it is called Pinot Grigio) it has a lighter style with a pronounced acidity.

In New Zealand, the acidity is mild and rounded, and the style is often slightly full-bodied, reminiscent of plums or yogurt.

So what happens when these two varieties are blended?

After tasting it, I was like, "Hmm, I see."

The blend ratios have not been disclosed, but we suspect Pinot Noir will dominate.

The reason is that it has a strong Pinot Noir flavor. It is light and supple. It has a mild astringency. It has a strong berry aroma and an earthy hint.

But there's something about it that you don't get with Pinot Noir, especially the characteristic floral notes, which are probably the result of Pinot Gris. It's this floral note that makes this wine so unique.

The brewing process is carbonic maceration. It is the same method as Beaujolais Nouveau. In normal wine, the grapes are crushed before brewing, but in carbonic maceration, this is not done and the grapes are left in the tank as they are. The tank is filled with carbon dioxide and alcoholic fermentation takes place.

This produces a red wine that has color but is not too bitter.

It is rare to use this carbonic maceration method with Pinot Noir, but mixing it with Pinot Gris, a white grape, is an even more unusual style.

The winemaker describes this wine as "an ode to Beaujolais."

I guess this is what happens when you try to make a Beaujolais-style wine in New Zealand.

However, what makes this wine different from Beaujolais Nouveau is that it is aged after fermentation. The original is bottled without any aging process, but this wine is aged in old barrels for four months before being bottled.

As a result, each element of the wine has been mellowed out, making it easier to drink.

The winemaker also says that "this wine is best served slightly chilled in the summer."

Although this wine is not particularly bitter, it does have a high alcohol content of 14%. If you lower the temperature a little, it will become smoother and can be paired with a wide variety of dishes.

• Cream Cheese and Prosciutto Bruschetta
• Chicken liver paste
• roast beef

From appetizer dishes like this

• Curry-flavored chicken wings
• Spicy sauteed beef skirt steak

It even covers slightly spicy meat dishes like this one.

Be sure to keep a bottle of this original, light red wine in your fridge as your own "summer red."

About Scout Wines

Founded in 2017, Scout Wines is run by Sarah Adamson, who has over 13 years of winemaking experience around the world.

She has worked in wine regions around the world since 2004, traveling extensively to learn and understand great wines, working with many winemakers and being deeply influenced by her current wine styles, tastes and ideas.

Sarah's winery, Scout Wines, focuses on adapting traditional wine styles to modern flavors.

Taking advantage of the beautiful fruit and interesting vineyard sites found especially in Central Otago, they produce flavoursome wines without relying on additives or technology.

The white wines are pressed from whole bunches, fermented with wild yeasts and aged on the lees. The red wines are hand-picked and fermented with wild yeasts. Maceration is extended, but plunging is kept to a minimum to avoid over-extraction. The wines are aged in French oak barrels of various sizes, with very little new oak used, preserving the purity of the fruit.

The winery's name was inspired by Harper Lee's classic novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," and the protagonist, Jean Louise Finch's spirit of "questioning and observing" is reflected in the winemaking.

About Central Otago

Central Otago, the southernmost region in the country, is known as a famous Pinot Noir producing area and is called one of the "three major Pinot Noir producing areas in the world" along with Burgundy and Oregon.

In addition to Pinot Noir, we are focusing on growing aromatic white grapes. This region is the only one of New Zealand's wine producing regions with a semi-continental climate, characterized by large daily temperature differences, coolness, and extreme dryness.

The region is also home to a wealth of small wineries, and winery tours based in the scenic town of Queenstown are popular.

Scout Pinot x Pinot 2023

item	Content
Winery Name	Scout Wines
Country of Origin	new zealand
Origin	Central Otago
kinds	red
Grape variety	Pinot Noir 97% Pinot Gris 3%
Vintage	2023
Alcohol content	14.0%
capacity	750ml
remarks	Screw Cap