Viticultural Information
Pinot Meunier
Description
Species: Vitis vinifera Pinot Meunier is the most distinct variant of Pinot noir in terms of physical appearance and growth habits. It is a red grape variety with pendulant shoots that are covered with copious amounts of white hairs that increase in density toward the terminal ends so that shoot tips appear nearly white. Pinot Meunier is a moderately high-vigor variety that can be planted in unrestricted soil. Its pendulant canes preclude tight vine spacing and require multiple passes to position shoots. In vertical canopies, shoots are stuffed between three pairs of stationary wires. Several different rootstocks may be used; however, those that impart vigor may require training to a divided canopy. For either cordon- or head-trained, cane-pruned canopies, cluster exposure should be limited. In cool springs, portions of the cluster will become necrotic and desiccate, just as in Pinot noir. Pinot Meunier is not as susceptible to powdery mildew as Pinot noir, and it is far less susceptible to Eutypa dieback than Chardonnay. Although it has tight clusters, Botrytis bunch rot is not often an issue since Pinot Meunier is harvested before fall rains.
People
Links
Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis is the source of Foundation grapevine material for the nursery industry, and the staff can provide information about possible sources for obtaining this stock.
The National Grape Registry (NGR) contains information about varieties of wine, juice, and table grapes, raisins, and grape rootstocks available in the United States. Growers, nurseries, winemakers and researchers can find background information and source contacts for those grape varieties in this single convenient location.
Publications
Smith, R. 2003. Pinot meunier (PDF). Pages 116-117 in: Wine Grape Varieties in California. University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources Publication 3419, Oakland, CA. Buy book
NGR Match
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