People view Pinot Grigio as a super light, thin, patio-pounder. Well, this may be the case for a good chunk of the mass produced wine coming out of Northern Italy but if you are quick to generalize, you’ll miss out on some fabulous wines. There are so many variations of this wine throughout the world that it cannot be boxed into one type or one style. Pinot Grigio (A.K.A. Pinot Gris, which translated from French literally means “grey pine cone”), has so much more to offer the world than how it’s often stereotyped. In this episode we dig deeper in the Pinot Gris grape and the wine it produces.
photo by Andrew Fogg via Wiki Commons
In this week’s episode we explore:
- What countries are the major producers of Pinot Grigio?
- It’s relationship to Pinot Noir
- History of the Pinot Gris grape in Europe
- The many styles of Pinot Grigio
- Food Pairings
Wine Recommendations
Talamonti ILauri Tavo Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie IGP 2015 – priced around $12. This wine is a pale lemon color with medium intensity aromas of lilies and pear. It’s dry with Medium acidity and light to medium body with flavors of peach, pear and lilies. This would make a good intro wine for people wanting to get into dry whites because it’s on the lighter side and it’s very fruity and approachable.
Lechthaler Trentino Pinot Grigio 2014 – priced around $13. This wine is rounder for a Pinot Grigio. Also a pale color wine with medium intensity nose of stone fruit, flowers and lemon. There is lots of acid in this wine so pair with foods like salad or any fresh, light dish. It’s a serious, elegant wine with flavors of lemon oil and stone fruit. It screams European wine. Well done!
BONUS WINE: Verus Pinot Gris 2013 – priced around $11. We had the 2013 version of this wine but the 2015 is now out. This wine is youthful with aromas of citrus, minerals, pear and a touch of incense or spice. Also has a high level of acidity with flavors of stone fruit, lemon and a chalky minerality and the finish is very fruity. We thought it was bright and crisp and we appreciated the balance between fruit and the other flavors.
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