Pinot Gris
The French call it Pinot Gris. The Italians call it Pinot Grigio. Americans produce both and drink a ton of it. The Pinot Gris grape exhibits a range of colors from grayish blue to brownish pink. It's in the same family as Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc but has a character all its own. Pinot Gris (meaning “gray”) has been known to produce wines that range from white to light-tinged pink.
Pinot Gris is thought by many to reach its pinnacle in Alsace, where it's called Tokay-Pinot Gris or Tokay d'Alsace. Alsatian Pinot Gris grapes show up in dry, acidic wines or decadent late harvest styles. Just across the border in Germany, Pinot Gris goes by the name Grau Burgunder and produces full-bodies white wines.
That's a far cry from what most people know as Italy's Pinot Grigio — often a light (some might say thin), pale, and herbal wine for easy quaffing. Some of the best Pinot Grigios come from the Friuli region of Italy, where leading producers show full, rounded versions.
The current hot spot for Pinot Gris is Oregon. It was introduced there in 1966 and has become the state's premier white grape. Oregon producers prefer the name Pinot Gris to Pinot Grigio, although there's no single style of wine made. Some winemakers use oak. Others use only stainless steel. Most produce a completely dry wine. Some leave a little residual sugar.
Pinot Grigio has been called the “new Chardonnay” because of its soaring popularity among both casual drinkers and serious wine enthusiasts. Santa Margherita was the first winery to make its mark as an import to the United States in 1979. In the last five years, small growers all over Italy's northeast have been planting Pinot Grigio to take advantage of the demand.
