Pinot meunier

Pinot Meunier, also known as Meunier or SchwarzRiesling, is a variety of black wine grape most noted for being one of the three main varieties used in the production of champagne (the other two are the black variety Pinot noir and the white Chardonnay).

Pinot Meunier can be identified by ampelographers by its indented leaves that appear downy white, like flour has been dusted liberally on the underside, and lightly on the upper side, of the leaf. The name "Meunier" comes from the French word for miller with many of the grapevine's synonyms also hearkening to this association-such as "Dusty Miller" which is used in England, "Farineaux" and "Noirin Enfariné" used in France as well as "Müllerrebe" and "Müller-Traube" used in Germany. This characteristic derives from large numbers of fine white hairs on the leaves. However, some clones of Pinot Meunier have been found to be completely hairless -- a chimeric mutation, in fact -- which has led ampelographers to more closely draw a link between Meunier and Pinot noir.

Pinot Meunier is one of the most widely planted grapes in France but it is rather obscure to most wine drinkers and will rarely be seen on a wine label. The grape has been favored by vine growers in northern France due to its ability to bud and ripen more reliably than Pinot noir. The vine's tendency to bud later in the growing season and ripen earlier makes it less susceptible to developing coulure which can greatly reduce a prospective crop. For the last couple of centuries, Pinot Meunier has been the most widely planted Champagne grape, accounting for more than 40% of the region's entire plantings. It is most prevalent in the cooler, north facing vineyards of the Vallee de la Marne and in the Aisne department. It is also widely grown in the Aube region in vineyards where Pinot noir and Chardonnay would not fully ripen.

Compared to Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier produces lighter colored wines with slightly higher acid levels but can maintain similar sugar and alcohol levels. As part of a standard champagne blend, Pinot Meunier contributes aromatics and fruity flavors to the wine. Champagnes with a substantial proportion of Pinot Meunier tend not to have as much significant aging potential as champagnes that are composed primarily of Chardonnay or Pinot noir. It is therefore most commonly used for champagnes that are intended to be consumed young, when the soft, plushy fruit of the Pinot Meunier is at its peak. A notable exception is the Champagne house of Krug which makes liberal use of Pinot Meunier in its long-lived prestige cuvees.

References

1. Association of dwarfism and floral induction with a grape 'green revolution' mutation Boss & Thomas, Nature 416, 847-850 (25 April 2002).
2. J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 440-441 Oxford University Press 2006.
3.  Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 138 Harcourt Books 2001.
4. German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2007-2008