in alsace, germany, luxembourg, italy, hungary, czech republic and slovakia, the wine produced from this grape is a full-bodied white. in 2000, there were of pinot blanc in france, with most of the plantations found in alsace, where it is used for both still white wines and is the most common variety used for sparkling wine, crémant d'alsace. somewhat confusingly, the designation "pinot blanc" for alsace aoc wine does not necessarily mean that the wine is varietally pure pinot blanc. (this is in difference to pinot gris, which is a "true" varietal designation in alsace.) rather, the designation means that it is a white wine made from pinot varieties. under alsace appellation rules, the varieties pinot blanc, auxerrois blanc, pinot gris and pinot noir (vinified white, without skin contact) may all be used, but a blend of pinot blanc and auxerrois blanc is the most common. the most full-bodied "pinot blanc" wines from alsace, with a spicy and smokey character and moderate acidity, are probably dominated by auxerrois grapes.