The two alternative names for this wine reflect the two paths it took to its present winegrowing areas in Slovenia: "Sivi Pinot" is a (semi)-translation of the French "Pinot Gris" (Grey Pinot); "Rulandec" is a Slovene transliteration of the German "Rulaender" (named after Johann Seger Ruland, the vintner from Speyer who introduced the vine to Wesphalia in 1711). Grey Pinot is a mutation of the famous red grape Pinot Noir - one could call it a "discolored" mutation of its famous predecessor. Sivi Pinot grapes are predominantly of a light greyish-red colour (hence its French name), but individual grapes may vary from the greyish-blue of Pinot Noir, to the green-yellow of its descendant the White Pinot. The yield is moderate to low. In Slovenia, Sivi Pinot is grown primarily in Primorje and Podravje regions.
The colour of the young wines varies from a light greenish-yellow to a deep golden yellow; the ideal colour of a properly aged wine is bronze-yellow. Sivi Pinot is always a vigorous wine: full-bodied, high in alcohol, and moderate in acids. Sivi Pinot from Primorje is (almost) always dry, while the Podravje region offers delightful semi-dry wines. Late harvests from Podravje are semi-dry to semi-sweet, with a powerful taste and rich bouquet. The ultimate in Sivi Pinot wines is the suhi jagodni izbor, very rarely achieved in the Podravje region.
This is a very complex wine, with a strong and harmonized aroma. Young Sivi Pinot has a slightly fruity flavour with no stressed individual hues; a slight bitter aftertaste should be detected in properly vinified young wine. Sivi Pinot ages well and the matured wine acquires a piquant bouquet reminiscent of green walnuts.
Sivi Pinot should be served at 10 °C (50 °F); its complex character goes well with a wide variety of dishes: broiled (grilled) fatty fish such as mackerel, conger, eel, or carp; pasta with tomato and basil sauces; aubergine (eggplant) dishes and meat dumplings in heavy sauce, etc.
