This is how to choose between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris
While on Alan Carr and Lee Peart’s podcast Bottoms Up recently, Peart asked me what is the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. I replied, “one of them is drinkable”, which was perhaps a little unfair.
It is true I would never choose to drink Pinot Grigio, but it remains one of the most popular white wines in the UK so I should probably wind my neck in and write something about it.
Grape names in different regions can make understanding wine confusing. For example, Syrah and Shiraz are two names for the same grape, with Syrah typically used in Old World Europe and Shiraz preferred in New World regions such as Australia and South Africa.
It also hints at a stylistic difference across the globe, with Syrah seen as more silky, sophisticated and savoury and Shiraz as more full-fruited, riper and boozier.
Which wine: straightforward Pinot Grigio or rounder Pinot Gris?
It’s the same for Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. They are the same grape, a white mutation of the red Pinot Noir grape. The different names simply show the style of the wine.
First, the similarities. The grapes are white, but the skins have a pinkish blush, and the wines tend to have a refreshing bright acidity. And that’s it: a pretty short list for the exact same grape.
Pinot Grigio tends to come from Italy, the Veneto and Alto Adige regions in particular, where the climate is cooler, making crisp, lighter wines. Pinot Grigio is dry and mostly fermented in stainless steel to preserve its freshness. The flavours are subtle and simple – think green apple and lemon – and generally so neutral as to make me wonder why anyone would bother when you could just rehydrate with a glass of water.
But there I am showing my prejudice again; perhaps the best examples are kept at home for the locals to enjoy. That said, should you require an uncomplicated bottle of wine, something light and zesty that can be chilled and quaffed on a hot day, or one that won’t dominate your dish, Pinot Grigio is an easy choice.
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Pinot Gris is more complex
Pinot Gris is a far richer, more complex wine, typically coming from Alsace in France, where the weather is slightly warmer, creating ripe, more concentrated fruit. Here the wine becomes rounder and more generous, even tipping into lusciousness. Pinot Gris can be dry, off-dry and late-harvest which is where the wine becomes sweeter and a touch more alcoholic.
The flavours are a kaleidoscope of ripe peach, apricot, mango, honey and even tiny whispers of something spiced or smoky. Winemakers tend to play about with a Pinot Gris more, too, trying skin contact to give it more grip, texture and colour, or oak aging to add spice and richness. Whichever country it comes from Pinot Gris symbolises a more generous, riper, layered wine.
How one single grape variety can be turned into such vastly different experiences shows the combined power of the area, weather and winemaker. When picking up a bottle of PG just make sure you have the one you want.
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