Sweet, medium bodied wines that are fresh and light, are typically wines crafted from the Pinot blanc variety. This variety is a relative to the Pinot Gris grape type and Pinot Noir. Typically, wines created by the Pinot blanc variety contain fruit flavors and citrus aromas. First mixed with other wines in the regions of Burgundy and Champagne,Pinot blanc is still mixed today in small quantities into Burgundy wines. This variety grows in parts of Europe, such as Italy and Germany and can go by different names. Labeled Pinot Bianco in Italy, this wine is a nice wine that can age in oak barrels, if expensive. In Germany, Pinot blanc goes by the term Weisseburgunder. In France, that variety is a popular grape type, with more than 3,000 acres of the grape type planted in Alsace in the year 2000. In Alsace, the term for Pinot blanc does not refer to wines that are varietal, but it means that wines with the name Pinot blanc are made from several varieties. These French wines from the Alsace region tend to have smoke like flavors and are somewhat acidic wines. Pinot Blanc pair nicely with poultry dishes, as well as with seafood or pork dishes. Typically Pinot blanc wines are consumed when young. Due to the high acid levels in Pinot blanc wines, the wines are vinified in a tank process.