Grape Varietals / Wine Basics

Wine Baby’s Guide to: Pinot Gris/Grigio

Pinot Gris/Grigio is an incredibly popular white wine, but as a Wine Baby, you may or may not know that it’s not actually a white grape!

It’s actually a mutation of our friend Pinot Noir. And the name “gris/grigio” means “grey”, after the greyish skins. These skins aren’t dark enough to make a red wine, but they could technically make a rosé.

So instead we end up with a white wine, produced in two distinct styles. The producer’s use of the name “Pinot Gris” or “Pinot Grigio” can generally be relied upon to tell you which style is in the bottle.

TASTING PINOT GRIS/GRIGIO

First, we need to define the two different styles, because they are like polar opposites.

Let’s start with “Grigio”. This is the Italian name for the grape.

A huge quantity of Pinot Grigio is mass produced in Veneto, Italy, and it’s style is widely mimicked. The grapes are typically picked young, and from high yield vineyards. This results in lighter bodied wines that are high in acidity, and have simple flavours. They are best drank young, because those flavours are going to fade with time.

Not all Italian Pinot Grigio is this simple though – some higher quality versions can be found in Fruili and Alto Adige.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have French Pinot Gris, specifically from Alsace.

These grapes are harvested later and from lower yield vineyards. As such, these grapes are lower in acidity and higher in sugar, as well as more complex in their flavour profiles. They will make wines that are fuller in body than their Italian-style counterparts, and can even be suitable for aging.

The characteristics that you note while tasting Pinot Gris/Grigio will be dependent upon which country it’s from, or which style the winemaker was going for.

Colour

Remember when I said this was a colour mutation? Well, because there is a range of skin colour for this grape, there is also a wide range for the colour and intensity when you are examining it in your glass. You might get lemon, or gold, from pale to deep.

Bear in mind that a lighter Pinot Grigio will be on the paler end of that spectrum, and a fuller Pinot Gris will be more intense.

Nose

Common aroma notes for this grape include lemon, peach, and cantaloupe.

Fuller Pinot Gris might even venture into the tropical fruit territory with hints of mango and banana.

If you’ve got a really complex version, maybe you’ll pick up on a few other twists, like almonds or gravel.

And if you’ve got an age-worthy bottle that’s been sitting on your shelf for a few years, you might luck out with some added notes of honey and ginger.

Palate

We generally covered this off above when discussing the two different styles, but let’s add a few layers.

We already know that Pinot Grigio is light in body and high in acidity. It’s also almost always fermented dry, with no residual sugar left behind.

Pinot Gris, however, is medium to full bodied, and only medium in acidity. While it can be fermented dry, some producers will choose to stop the fermentation process earlier, making wines that range from off-dry to medium sweetness.

As a white wine, both styles will be low in tannins, and have moderate levels of alcohol.

PAIRING PINOT GRIS/GRIGIO

Pinot Gris/Grigio is great for pairing with lighter meals like white meats and seafood. Try really playing up the fruit characteristics in the wine by pairing it with a dish that incorporates similar fruits into the meal.

SHOPPING FOR PINOT GRIS/GRIGIO

The obvious place to start your shopping would be in the French aisle for Pinot Gris, or the Italian aisle for Pinot Grigio.

While scanning the French bottles, look for wines made in Alsace. If you want to make sure you are getting a good quality bottle, look for the phrase “Grand Cru”, which means the grapes were selected from one of the better vineyard sites.

And did that mention of slightly sweeter versions pique your interest? Look for the phrase “Vendanges Tardives” or “VT”. This translates to late harvest and the term is only used in Alsace. These wines were made with grapes that were harvested later than usual in the season and will be at least medium sweet or higher.

If you think you will prefer the lighter, simpler Italian version, then you’ll have plenty of options to choose from! Keep an eye out for bottles from Fruili or Alto Adige for the best quality picks.

Outside of those two, there are a ton of other countries producing Pinot Gris/Grigio. Special shoutout goes to the Canadian Okanagan Valley. In her book “The Wine Bible”, Karen MacNeil says they are producing the best Pinot Gris/Grigio in North America right now!

I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to get my hands on an Alsace Pinot Gris. Which style do you prefer?