It was love at first sip when I tried this Pax Trousseau Gris at the winery’s tasting room in Sebastopol. The light pink and copper color in the glass, and a seductive slinkiness like 90s Kate Moss in a slip dress. I’m not embarrassed to say that I bought five bottles. What can I say? This wine is so fresh, approachable, and perfect for hot, sun drenched summer days.
Actually, as I sit here and write this on what is a chillier fall afternoon, I would say it’s perfect for autumn as well. The wine copywriter in me just really wants you to try a bottle of Trousseau Gris. Come to think of it, this would even make a good Thanksgiving wine. Serve this bottle with your apps during the first football game of the day, and everyone is happy!
Trousseau Gris Grape: From Jura to California
In California, the Trousseau Gris grape is hard to find. Once widely planted, this grape, which also goes by the name Gray Riesling, is now only planted in a single vineyard, the Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard in the Russian River Valley.
Like so many of California’s heritage grapes (grapes planted pre-prohibition), most of these vines were ripped out and replaced with Chardonnay. Because, what California really needs is more Chardonnay, right?
Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is owned by Peter Fanucchi, and is home to just seven acres of these rare grapes. Among the “New California” winemaking set, there is a high demand to get your hands on these grapes, but with such a limited harvest each year, that means there are not a lot of grapes to go around.
Which winemakers make Trousseau Gris wine?
And, at the time of this writing, just seven producers make wine from the small plot at Fanucchi-Wood Road. There is the aforementioned Pax Trousseau Gris, as well as Jolie-Laide’s interpretation, and newcomer, Las Jaras Wines Trousseau Gris.
Other producers include:
- Tank Garage Winery
- Two Shepherds
- Single Thread (the restaurant)
- Wind Gap
- Zeitgeist Cellars
- Carpenter Wines
What does Trousseau Gris Taste Like?
The best way to describe these wines is: crisp and acidic with flinty minerality, notes of juicy melon, watermelon, and Alpine strawberry. The wines taste clean, refreshing, and vibrant. This is a super glou glou wine.
A Delicious Frankenstein of a Grape
The Trousseau Gris grape is a white mutation of the red Trousseau grape. This French grape is native to the Jura region of France, so it does well in cool climates like the Russian River Valley.
One of the more interesting features of this grape is its skin color – it’s a pinkish-gray color, sort of like Pinot Gris. The color of the grape skins can make categorizing the type of wine Trousseau Gris makes a little tricky. Does it make white wines? Are they rose wines? Or, are they orange?
Is Trousseau Gris an Orange Wine?
Yes and no. Orange wine is made by allowing white wine to ferment on the skins to produce a coppery orange color. Rose wine is made by allowing the same process to happen with red-skinned grapes. But there is one more style of wine missing from this conversation: Ramato.
The skin of the Trousseau Gris grape is somewhere between rose pink and peachy-orange color, with hints of gray. So, here’s the thing, due to its color, the grape technically can’t make rosé wines. What winemakers like Pax can do is make a Ramato style wine.
Ramato is made by crushing grapes with pinkish-gray skins like Pinot Grigio or Trousseau Gris, and letting the juice soak on the skins. The technique is one that is popular in Friuli (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), and this skin-contact wine has the most beautiful coppery color, in addition to intriguing textures.
Fun fact: The word ‘ramato’ comes from ‘rame’, the Italian word for ‘copper’.
Tasting Notes for the 2019 Pax Trousseau Gris
Pax’s Ramato-style wine is a rush of bright strawberries and refreshing watermelon. The acidity is crisp, and invites easy drinking. On the palate, everything feels brisk. The texture of the wine is a delight, and gives it just a hint more body than you might expect from a wine of this color, and with this much acid.
FAQs
What does Trousseau Gris pair with?
Break out the summer fried chicken, french fries, or other acid loving foods! Take this wine to your next picnic, BBQ, day at the beach, or anytime you want to impress your friends by showing up with a bottle of rare rosé-like wine!
Where is Trousseau Gris grown?
The only known planting of this grape is in the Russian River Valley at the Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyards. The vineyard is owned by Peter Fanucchi, who planted the vineyard with his father.
Trousseau Gris, Gray Riesling, whatever you want to call it, free up some space in the wine fridge, because this grape is worth it.