About Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris

The Italian Pinot Grigio is essentially the same grape as the French Pinot Gris; in both cases, the grape is named for its pine-cone like clusters of grapes, and the "grey" color that in actuallity is more blue than grey. The wine actually occurs in a range of colors from a deep gold, to a pinkish copper, and even a pale straw shade of yellow. Pinot Grigio is an old grape, going back to the Middle Ages in France and Italy, and likely, one with Roman heritage. It left a definite foot print in Burgundy, and was deliberately planted in Hungary by a number of estates.

Pinot Grigio now grows abundantly well in both the old world and the new. It is very successful in pinot grigioAlsace, in the Lombardy region of Italy, in Victoria, Australia, on both the North and South islands of New Zealand, and has performed well in California and Oregon. Depending on the local habitation and weather, the resultant wine can be sweet and fruity, the typical Italian style of Pinot Grigio, or more dry, acidic and mineral, the most common associations for French Pinot Gris. There is a distant genetic relationship with the Pinot Noir grape, most probably via a spontaneous natural mutation hundreds of years ago. The two are so closely related that it is almost impossible to tell the vines apart unless they bear fruit; the Pinot Noir, as its name suggests, has much darker grapes.

Pinot Grigio tends to be a wine that is sold fairly soon after bottling and fermentation; it is not unusual to find the new Pinot Grigios for sale six months after bottling. Historically, too, it was seen as a wine for enjoying in the moment. In the middle ages and Renaissance it was considered to be a wine best consumed within a year or two, though I note Alsace and Italy both produce Pinot Grigios that are marketed as worth saving for as much as ten years. In terms of American consumer table wines, Beringer makes a California Pinot Grigio, as does Sutter Home. I'll be writing about Sutter Home's Pinot Grigio in the next day or so. In Washington, Columbia Crest makes an H3 Pinot Gris, as well as a Columbia Crest Grand Estates Pinto Gris. Mary Hill Winery in Washington's Columbia Gorge also makes a Pinto Gris that's fairly easy to find. In Oregon's Willamette Valley it's almost impossible to find a winery that doesn't produce a Pinto Gris.