Pineau d’aunis leaf and grapes Source: Sevenfifty

It's Pineau, not Pinot

Pineau d'aunis is the perfect light bodied, summer wine everyone should know about.

Raise those pinkies, everyone — it’s Pi-neau d’Aunis. Pronounced almost exactly like “Pinot,” though spelled differently. Perhaps that’s what happens when an obscure French grape becomes beloved by English royalty.

And what’s not to love? Pineau d’Aunis typically produces pale-colored, light-bodied, energetic wines with flavors of raspberry, watermelon, and a dusting of white or black pepper. Tannins are usually minimal to nonexistent, while the acidity remains taut, focused, and refreshing. The result is a wine that pairs beautifully with cheese, cured meats, and seafood, while also serving as a slightly more substantive alternative to rosé.

So is it related to Pinot Noir?

Despite frequent confusion, Pineau d’Aunis has no genetic relationship to the Pinot family. The grape is primarily grown in the Loire Valley and belongs instead to the Gouais Blanc family, making it more closely related to varieties like Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. Historically, it was sometimes called Chenin Noir, though modern DNA analysis confirms it is not a color mutation of Chenin Blanc.

The grape’s recorded history stretches back at least to the mid-13th century, when England’s King Henry III — yes, that Henry Plantagenet — reportedly imported wines made from Pineau d’Aunis because he loved them so much. Though whether we should fully trust the palate of a medieval monarch who likely never washed his hands and considered heavily salted meat a delicacy remains open to debate.

Speaking of Henry III, a quick detour: why does his name sound vaguely familiar? Because you probably know his father. Henry III was the son of King John — the villainous lion from Robin Hood sucking his thumb while taxing everyone into oblivion. More importantly, his grandmother was Eleanor of Aquitaine: crusader, political mastermind, queen of both France and England, and one of the most formidable women of the Middle Ages. Legends claim she rode during the Second Crusade dressed as an Amazon warrior to help recruit soldiers, though historians debate how literally that story should be taken.

Back to the grape — while keeping one foot in medieval France.

The origins of Pineau d’Aunis are deeply tied to Aquitaine and the Loire. The name itself means “Pineau of Aunis.” Historically, Aunis was a pays — a loosely defined cultural territory — near present-day La Rochelle on France’s Atlantic coast. Some believe this region gave the grape its name and may have been its birthplace, though no meaningful Pineau d’Aunis is grown there today.

A more convincing theory, proposed by the legendary wine writer Oz Clarke, traces the name instead to a former priory called Aunis situated between modern-day Saumur and Chinon — precisely where Pineau d’Aunis is still cultivated today. Even more compelling, the remnants of that priory belong to Fontevraud Abbey, where Eleanor of Aquitaine has rested for nearly 800 years. So yes, people have been making wine from Pineau d’Aunis for a very long time.

As late as the early 19th century, Pineau d’Aunis was widely planted throughout the Loire Valley. But after phylloxera devastated vineyards across Europe, the variety was replanted only sparingly. Growers considered it difficult and unreliable: yields can fluctuate dramatically, and ripening is often uneven. As a result, acreage steadily declined well into the early 2000s. Only recently has the grape begun a slow but meaningful revival.

Production remains limited, but when handled carefully, Pineau d’Aunis can produce wines of remarkable grace, elegance, and subtlety. Seek out producers such as Domaine de Bellivière, Patrice Colin, Vignoble Dinocheau, Domaine Le Fief Noir, Domaine Les Grandes Vignes, Jean-Christophe Jezéquel, Jean-Marie Renvoisé, Jean-Pierre Robinot, and Domaine Régnier-David. Many farm biodynamically or embrace low-intervention winemaking. Each offers a distinct interpretation of this peppery, quietly captivating red that is finally beginning to step back into the spotlight.