Pinot Grigio – Discover the classic white wine!

What does Pinot Grigio taste like?

The shimmering golden white Italian is an uncomplicated, light wine with a fruity kick of freshness. Pinot Grigio is relatively low in acidity.

From northern Italy – viticulture and vines

Pinot Grigio is one of the most important grape varieties in the northern Italian regions of Friuli and Veneto. The soils here are particularly calcareous due to the Dolomites. This gives the wine a mineral character.

Pinot Grigio versus Pinot Gris

The grape variety is quite widespread worldwide, albeit under different names. It probably originated in Burgundy. In the Middle Ages, Grigio is said to have existed here under the name Fromenteau. The vine slowly spread from Burgundy together with Pinot Noir and also reached Italy. Cistercian monks cultivated it in Hungary at Lake Balaton. In Germany, the grape variety is known as Pinot Gris. Its distribution extends as far as California in the USA and Victoria in Australia, where it is also labeled as Pinot gris, depending on the sweetness of the wine. In Baden, Pinot Gris is called Ruländer.

“It is assumed that the grape is a mutation of the Pinot Noir grape. The name translates as “Pinot Gris”.”

Characteristics of the Pinot Grigio grape variety

Pinot Grigio wines are very different, depending on the wine-growing region and production method. Italian Pinot Grigio usually has a light body and a light, straw-yellow color. It can sometimes even be tangy and acidic.

Color

The Pinot Gris grape is not a white grape, but rather a copper-colored grape. It ripens red with a dull sheen that gives the wine a gray appearance. When the Pinot Gris grape bursts and the mash stands for a long time, these reddish pigments are released from the skin and go into the juice. Pressed directly, however, the wine turns white.

Although the grapes of the Pinot Grigio grape variety are not white, this grape variety is classified as a white wine.

Age

Single-aged Pinot Grigio is good to drink young. If the white wine is matured in wooden barrels, it should be drunk up to an age of 10 years.

What does this white wine go with?

Grigio is an excellent accompaniment to food. It is suitable as an aperitif and goes very well with vegetable dishes such as antipasti or salads. Other good accompaniments are Italian specialties such as Parma ham, pasta dishes and risotto. Of course, it can also be served with white meat, fish and seafood.