Old World vs. New World: Pinot Grigio/Gris

Pinot Grigio/Gris. Let’s get into it. It took me a while to come to this article. I have put off the Old World vs. New treatment of some varieties (hallo Riesling and Pinot Noir) because I knew I would love tasting them all month and didn’t want the thrill to be over (sadly, it is). Conversely, I put Pinot G off because I wasn’t sure how I would feel popping the Grig’ all month. But then, I remembered that haunting Alsatian Pinot Gris I misidentified as Savennières in a blind tasting. I contemplated the super crisp Italian offerings I cut my wine teeth on. PG and I have shared a dance or so and weren’t totally out of sync. I decided I needed to take the deep dive, if nothing else, to nail the grape in blind tastings and optimally uncover some delights. So, Gris v Grigio, what’s the diff? They are the same grape, although TECHNICALLY, so are Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. Yes indeed. All the Pinots share enough genetic markers to be classified as the same but move a little further down the genetic chain, and we (royal we) have identified subcategories of Pinot. Overlooking that and simply focusing on wines identifying as Gris or Grigio, well, winemaking and clonal selection can make all the difference. The difference is felt. Grigios are generally associated with lighter, crisper wines, whereas Gris tends to be more deeply hued, spiced and honeyed—and sometimes made sweet. Common Grigio tasting notes include citrus, beer and peanut shells, whereas Gris wines sport more stone fruit and baking spice. Where did it come from? Good question. Like seriously, it's a good one. Jancis Robinson’s “Wine Grapes” examines its dizzying trajectory and multitudes of monikers...it’s confusing, and I'm unsure precisely where it first mutated and/or was propagated. Gray color mutations of Pinot were cited within a year of each other in both Germany and France, with theories of Pinot Noir leaving the country, mutating, then being brought back, or just…well, the Pinot grape mutates out new clones faster than you can imagine. It’s like the rabbit of grapes, sort of. But we don’t need to pin this free spirit down, do we? The important thing is that these days, what we identify as Pinot Grigio/Gris, and what we call it, is finally pretty much sorted out, the last straw being convincing Alsace first not to call it Tokay, but Tokay d’Alsace and, eventually, in 2007, outlawing the name Tokay from being anywhere on the label, much to Hungary’s delight. More fun time facts include that PG sports a gray-pink skin…and indeed, in a blind tasting, a copper hue can be a significant clue. The shade of the color can be quite variable, though, explaining how different one glass of vino can be from another. The right grapes can even be made in a Rosé shade, a style known as Ramato. I had so much more fun doing this than I surmised. Interestingly, I’ve noticed the trend for just about every place, but Italy is the one to call it Pinot Gris, as opposed to Grigio mostly. Even the wines that style-wise were on the fence between the Grigio/Gris styles. Perhaps trying to escape the basic b reputation watered down Grigios have garnered in the last decade or so? So this column is a little about showing how differently the grape can show up, and also a little bit of justice for wines going by Pinot Grigio that are anything but basic. So..onwards…allora… ITALIA Pinot Grigio excels in the north, especially in the Trentino Alto-Adige and the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. And then I did blog about the oft-high quality Pinot Grigio delle Venezie here last year, but here are some more regional delights. 2019 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Curubella From Friuli Colli Orientali, aka the northerly north of Italy! With two days of skin contact yielding a deep gold bordering on a Ramato-style Pinot Grigio, it almost looks like Rosé. It shows an intense yet gently oxidized apple and peach peel nose. The palate veers into frankincense and tangerine peel, slightly golden raisin oxidized in nature with a chill amount of textured fun. At the same time, spritely. It's so drinkable alone but would kill with food, too. A white for red wine people. 2022 Marco Felluga Russiz Superior Collio Pinot Grigio Look, I know another Felluga, but, perusing the website, I found mention of relatives going back to the 1800s but no Livio, so I’m not sure if the two are related. Still, maybe something in the name lends itself to a more complex Grigio. In this case, some barrel fermentation plays a role; the texture has a satisfying grip. The nose is all honeyed mandarins and peaches in light syrup. The palate, aforementioned grip aside, brings in seashell-y notes, brighter citrus, and leesy notes. Really a stand-up Pinot Grigio. 2022 Attems Friuli Pinot Grigio A fresh one, the underlying milky hints are a telltale note. But bright with fresh citrus and a slightly textured body makes it serious. But it is cheerful! And textured, just a touch. There’s a lot of citrus peel and the subtle is-that-a-note-of-cottage-cheese-vibes while maintaining freshness. Acidic but not overly so. 2021 Alois Lageder Porer Pinot Grigio Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT This is a thinking wino’s wine. Made from 1/3 freshly pressed grapes, 1/3 macerated for 15 hours, and 1/3 enjoying a full year of skins ‘n stems bonding time. Deep gold with gorgeous rose-gold hues. It’s a tad stinky, in a fun way, on the nose: onion skin mingling with wet rocks and citrus. The palate packs a punch, so sip slowly. It’s wet greens and more of the friendly citrus plus pear skin holding down the fort, then some white pepper and almost floral notes. It’s that friend with a messy love life you can’t get enough of hearing about. PACIFIC NORTHWEST ( WASHINGTON AND OREGON ) While Washington is better known for Cabs and Syrah and Oregon for Pinot and Chard, both are pulling up with some really fun PGs. 2021 Eyrie The Eyrie Pinot Gris Enticing AF. Seriously, the elegant-est of the elegant. Both the nose and palate. The golden copper color promises to swirl you up as you swirl (that glass) away. Smells of honeysuckle, quince, and apple spice yogurt. Tastes like a stew of apricots, golden apples, and baking spices augmented with a dash (just a dash) of cream. All stewarded by a body of just enough acid and alcohol. It’s a wine of breadth but also direction. 2021 Rainstorm Willamette Valley Pinot Gris Super yeasty/leesy (aka almost dairy) nose, underscored by orchard and stone fruit, like serious Queen Anne or Rainier cherry vibes here (wish I was joking). The palate is textured, lightly, friendlily, but noticeably, almost distracting you from the JUICY fruit and elegant spice and slight…pickle hint of it all. It's fun and nuanced. 2021 Barnard-Griffin Columbia Valley Pinot Gris Washington, I see you! So supes sapid and golden raisin (sultanas?) plus dried pineapple on the nose—mirroring the somewhat golden color. The palate brings finely grained texture, like a porridge in truly liquid form, and more of the dried fruit and fresh greens fun, tapering off with frankincense and, again, porridge notes. It’s a little grainy and a little creamy all at once. All ending spiced. Truly a beaut. 2022 Boomtown by Dusted Valley Columbia Valley Pinot Gris A more heady, leesy nose but light on its toes, beyond the slight buttermilk tang. I get a lot of citrus and some forest creek freshness. Not the complex-est of the complex, but there’s a smattering of aromas from fruit to dairy farm and a surprising burst of freshness through all. ALSACE Some of the deepest copper-colored gems come from here. Some of the most sublime, sweet ones, too! For the purposes of this tasting, I kept with the dry. 2020 Ostertag Les Jardins Vins d’Alsace Pinot Gris Delightfully sapid and beautifully copper, with a hint of nettle on the nose, filtering honey, ginger, and a wisp of saline aromas. The palate is all dried apricots, tart browning apples, frankincense and myrrh. So rich but dry and dreamy. Finishes forever, concluding with a slight hint of roses. 2021 Gustave Lorentz Réserve Alsace Pinot Gris It's so subtle and sophisticated. At first, you may think simple, but give it a minute and snow-kissed white peach, honeysuckle and slightly almondy notes come out. Rather a gorgeous wine. Elegant as can be. NEW ZEALAND It’s known for Sauvignon Blanc, but currently giving good Pinot Grigio! 2018 Mt Beautiful Canterbury Pinot Gris Is there such a thing as tropical cashews? This wine gives that. Silky and medium-weight, with a slight spice, augmented by the tropical fruit acid. Geez, it is the ultimate matchup of smooth-textured nuts and ripe fruit juice but finishes like an apple cider milkshake. Does this thing exist? It should. 2020 Loveblock Marlborough Pinot Gris It is an utterly charming and easy to drink but with seashell complexity wine. The nose is mineral-heavy with a slight-peanut-shell vibe, but the palate expands into white nectarine and golden delicious apple and, oh yeah! Perhaps white cherry, but minerality is the name of the game here. Seashells, wet stone and a surge of friendly acidity bring it all home. Quaffable, sure, but take your time with this one. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Want to read more from Ellen? Check out her other Old World vs. New World articles: Old World vs. New World: Tannat Old World vs. New World: Merlot Old World vs. New World: Sémillon You can also listen to Ellen's podcast , The Wine Situation here . 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