My experience with Pinot Grigio is fairly limited, so it’s possible I’ve just done it wrong. However, at this point I can’t think of any situation in which I would choose to drink it when given a choice of other (similarly priced) wines. Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner, Albarino or Txakolina all much more appealing crisp, “light,” clean whites for me. The Pinot Grigio I’ve had often seem perfumed but ultimately flat/dull and uninteresting.
Have I just had the wrong ones? Does one simply need to pay more for a good experience relative to some other “similar” whites? Or should I just file away as a wine that’s fine in a pinch with pizza/pasta but never will be my first choice? How could I change my impression for the better?
If you are looking for Pinot Grigio as a light crisp wine, I’d say there is always a more interesting alternative. The grapes you mention, plus dozens of other Mediterranean white varieties from Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal (technically not Mediterranean) have more aromatics, and tend to be more crisp.
Pinot Grigio/Gris comes to life when given time sur lie, and left with a tiny bit (.5%) residual sugar. It can age surprisingly well. Think of it as a sausage wine, not a seafood wine. OK, maybe salmon in some cases.
I agree with Peter on better alternatives for light, crisp whites. My question would be, are you looking for just that type? As Peter mentioned, PG gets made in many styles. Personally, the most impressive pinot gris I have ever had were Alsatian grand crus (I particularly like Albert Mann Hengst), but that is a totally different style from light and crisp. I also keep seeing more skin-contact (ie. ramato) pinot Grigio making it’s way here to the US. Again, a different style.
I think better producers like Livio Felluga make pretty good pinot grigio, but even in those cases, I would probably rather have another white of theirs at a similar price point.
To KN, I’m just referring to Italian pinot grigio, not to French pinot gris. Same grape variety, I know, but a pretty different type of wine in general.
I’d say, yes, there are foods that shine with Pinot Gris more so than other white wines.
There is a slight “oiliness” that many PG’s exhibit that marries well with oily fish such as salmon (David Lett maintained this) and halibut.
I’ve found PG’s that are the best match for sushi (nigiri) over other whites. Some Sauvignon Blancs are okay, as are some champagnes.
Sake is okay, too, but still, I’ve had PG’s that are clearly superior in the marriage. That is, the PG makes the sushi better while the sushi
makes the PG "better’ - my idea of a perfect food and wine match.
Italian Pinot Grigio from Jermann, Livio or Marco Felluga, Cantina Tramin, and some Lageder are quite good. They are lighter by far than the better Alsatian versions. It is a matter of preference.
I drink lots of Eyrie and Goodfellow Pints Gris from the Willamette Valley. It is in between the Italian and the Alsatian versions. Maybe because it is “local” for me, it is my strong preference.
Here are a couple of additional thoughts(and another endorsement of Eyrie and our PG) for you to look at. None are inexpensive, but none are ridiculously priced for what they are.
Vie de Romans-look for a cooler vintage as this is typically a muscular stony wine.
Trimbach Reserve-Alsace is warmer these days and abvs can get a bit nuts, so I would again advise a cooler vintage. But these wines age incredibly well, so don’t sweat whether it’s current vintage. Not terribly expensive at all.
Eyrie-a benchmark, and a workhorse, for Oregon, and an excellent wine.
Eyrie Original vines-also a benchmark for Oregon, 50 year old vines, low sulfur(my lack of enthusiasm for the marketing of “natural” is well documented on WB, but this is typically an excellent example of a new world “natural” wine).
Paetra and Teutonic-very solid and well done Gris from Oregon(in the .5% category, although Bill Hooper could verify this for the Paetra wine. Barnaby from Teutonic told me a number of years ago that theirs typically has .5% but that they are also picking fruit with high acidity).
Goodfellow-also very solid Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley, that I produce(in the bone dry category. I have much respect for Peter Hickner’s taste in white wines, but I like our Gris to feel like the wine Alzinger would make if the winery was in Bolzano).
Also, try to find either the still or sparkling Pinot Gris from Muré.
If I’m craving for a pretty serious, concentrated and ripe Alsatian PG say Boxler’s Brand, Josmeyer’s Hengst or Bott-Geyl’s Sonnenglanz it is hard to think of another variety that would do the same things better than those wines. Alas, I mostly tend to go for crisper whites but there is a time and a place for this style, no doubt.
No. There are scores of white varieties with better pedigree, track records and upside than Gris. Is it ever the best choice? Not a chance. Even from the heralded regions it is still a one off. Here in America? I will hold my tongue out of respect for folks here working with it honestly and diligently but again, the question is whether it is ever the best choice. No.
I’m with Jim. I cannot imagine a situation where there is not a better wine for any given situation or pairing than Pinot Grigio/Gris. The Italian and New World versions are anonymous and uninspiring while the Alsatian is so utterly inconsistent and often joyless or unbalanced.
For me pinot grigio is sort of like a good pilsner or vinho verde on a hot day. Mostly nondescript and no fuss with some fried calamari or picnic foods (esp seafood). No point in rating, seeking one out over another, doing tasting notes etc.
Pinot gris is the chicken breast of the wine world. Sure, it can be good on its own, but chances are that you have to do something to it to make it more interesting.
Pinot Gris is a pink mutation of a red grape, not a white variety. That’s why it is inherently a rather poor choice for making a typically “crisp and refreshing” white - it just isn’t built for that. Sure, you can always make crisp and refreshing white from grapes harvested too early, when the grapes are still high in acidity, but they haven’t developed much of varietal flavor precursors yet, which is why the wines tend to come across as rather neutral and dull. If you wait for the varietal flavors to appear, the wines tend to get lower in acidity and the wines become bigger and fruitier, but they might also appear flabby, even dull. However, when done right, the flavor intensity and cool minerality can make up for the lack of acidity.
So instead of thinking PG as a fresh and delicate white, think of it as a big, fruity and weighty wine. The Alsatian examples are hands down the best examples in this genre. The German Grauburgunders come in close second, followed by a handful of wines from Italy’s Alto Adige and Friuli. If there’s a Pinot Grigio from any other part of Italy, I’m almost certainly going to skip that.
Can’t remember if I’ve ever had a new world Pinot Gris / Grigio that would’ve challenged the most serious Pinot Gris wines of Europe - but then again, I haven’t had that many of them.
Thanks Marcus, looking forward to trying some of these next month. Paetra may have to wait until Berserker Day. I’m keeping my eyes out for Teutonic, found a bottle in a store in Denver but that’s the only one I’ve seen yet. I was hoping to make a stop in Portland but not enough time.
Exactly. Otto hits it on the head again. When I think “light and refreshing” I don’t think “pinot gris”.
When I think weight that will match sauerkraut and sausages, Yes! - pinot gris all the way.
Along those lines for me as well. When we have it, it’s for “l’apéro” and we are not looking for something serious. That being said and for the few I buy, I drink them young and colder than most whites. The latest I tried that fit the bill and that I found enjoyable was Cantina Terlan.