Pinot Blanc is a white mutant of Pinot Noir. It has sometimes been confused with Chardonnay as they share regions of origin, physical characteristics and taste profiles. Pinot Blanc resembles the more famous grape's medium body and rounded apple/stonefruit, while its less distinctive (or just less obvious) individual character makes it less planted and more often used for sparkling wine. However in cooler climates where it retains acidity, like Italy’s Alto Adige, ‘Pinot Bianco’s’ neutrality allows elegant still whites with textural richness and focus on its particular subtle nutty/mineral characters. Now hardly planted in its native Burgundy it is more so in Alsace, with a little in Germany and Austria and promising New World examples from cooler climates in South America, New Zealand and Canada’s Okanagan valley.