Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio? Great Value Summer Drinking!
I’ve been to a few Xmas functions recently where the white wine on offer was a pinot gris? Have you had the same experience? One of the reasons for this trend, I think, is that a growing number of Australian producers are making great pinot gris or pinot grigio (more on the differences between the two in a moment) at very affordable prices. You can buy excellent quality pinot gris for around $20 a bottle!
Last Friday night, for example I really enjoyed Mount Majura Vineyard’s Pinot Gris 2010 $23. Delicate and fruity (think pears and nectarines), its subtle sweetness was balanced by a crisp lively acidity and delightfully long textured finish. It worked beautifully with the fresh tuna nicoise salad.
The Difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio
Same grape, different styles!
Stylistically, pinot gris is typically richer and more full bodied than pinot grigio. It is made from riper grapes and often has a slight sweetness. Pinot grigio is lighter, drier and less complex in style.
Pinot gris is, of course, the French name for the variety which, after riesling and gewürztraminer, is the third most popular noble grape of the Alsace region in France. Pinot grigio is the Italian name for the same variety. It is typically grown in the northeast of Italy with the best examples coming from Friuli and Alto Adige.
The Pinot G Style Spectrum Label
“Luscious” and “crisp” are two of the most common adjectives used to describe the best examples of the respective styles. Fortunately, Mornington Peninsula winemaker Kevin McCarthy of T’Gallant worked with the Australian Wine Research Institute to devise a Pinot G Style Spectrum, which grades the style of ‘pinot g’ from one to nine, from “crisp” at the beginning of the scale to “luscious” at the other end. Huon Hooke reports that the innovative Pinot G Style Spectrum label should start appearing on most Australian examples of the style over the next couple of years, making it much easier for people to understand the differences between gris and grigio. (When a Gris is not a Gris? by Huon Hooke, Huon Hooke.com)
Pinot G Grows best in Cool Climates
Likes its red wine variety sibling, pinot noir, the best Australian examples tend to come from the cooler and high altitude wine growing regions, such as the Adelaide Hills, Mornington Peninsula, Tasmania and Geelong.
James Halliday included three pinot gris or pinot grigios in his Top 100 Australian Wines of 2011:
Serafino Bellisimo McLaren Vale Pinot Grigio 2011 $18
Riposte by Tim Knappstein The Stiletto Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris 2011 $19
Bay of Fires Tasmania Pinot Gris 2011 $31.50
And the two that just missed out on making the list were:
Printhie Orange Pinot Gris 2010 $18
Oakridge Over the Shoulder Yarra Valley Pinot Grigio 2011 $20
For detailed tasting notes, visit James Halliday Australian Wine Companion
Merrill Witt, Editor
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