Pinot Grigio sunshine in a glass P inot Grigio is the wine world’s equivalent of the fabulously stylish white sneaker. It swings from cheap and cheerful to absolutely Pinot Grigio vs. Pinot Gris Many people confuse Pinot Grigio
on the vine, imparting more weight, body and sometimes sugar in the final Pinot Gris wine. Pfaffenheim Pfaff Pinot Gris from Alsace is a classic example, shining pale gold and cascading with semi-dry flavours of poached peach, roasted apricot, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. British Columbia also makes some particularly lovely expressions of Pinot Gris and Pinot Gris blends. Check out the Last Word on page 112 for more about BC Pinot Gris.
elevated. Now wildly popular, Pinot Grigio is loved for its crisp, lively structure, light body and lip-smacking refreshment. With its food-friendly versatility and ability to match any occasion, it might be the ultimate springtime quencher. A Quick History Pinot Grigio wasn’t always the wine we know it to be today. In Pinot Grigio’s historic heartland of Italy, the wine was traditionally fermented on the skins. Since the grapes used to make Pinot Grigio are greyish in colour, the skins imparted a greyish-coppery hue to the final wine. In 1961, the Santa Margherita winery in Italy’s Veneto region decided to remove the skins before fermentation to preserve the precious aromas, flavours and delicacy of the fruit in the final wine.
and Pinot Gris or don’t know what the connection is between those two names on a wine label. So let’s clarify. Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same grape variety, just different wine styles. Pinot Grigio is a light, bright wine enjoyed all over the world for its relatively lean, crisp structure, low alcohol level—usually hovering around 12.5 percent or less—and lack of residual sugar. Most expressions are bone dry. A fine example is the Freixenet Pinot Grigio, Garda DOC, from Italy, a lively, subtle wine that nods toward lemon, lime and wet stones with a gentle salinity that leaves the palate seasoned. Good value. Although the crisp, clean white wine we know as Pinot Grigio today started in Italy, the grape itself is from France. It’s still grown there—particularly in Alsace—and called Pinot Gris. Pinot Gris wines taste slightly rounder and more ripe than Pinot Grigio wines. That’s because the grape is left to ripen longer
The wine, thus, was no longer tinted. The new style took off and became a bit of a sensation, and the rest is history. “Pinot Grigio is the wine world’s equivalent of the fabulously stylish white sneaker.”
Freixenet Garda Pinot Grigio Italy $19.99 456117
Pfaffenheim Pfaff Pinot Gris France $24.99 616144
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