Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are two of the most popular white wines in Australia.
The main difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio is that Pinot Gris is French and Pinot Grigio is Italian.
However, the names are often used interchangeably, which can lead to a lot of confusion.
In this post, we cover everything you need to know about these very similar (but not identical) types of wine.
What is Pinot Gris?
Pinot Gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera.
The Pinot Gris grape is most often found in the Alsace region of France.
Pinot Gris wines are medium to full-bodied and can range from dry to very sweet. The grape produces a wide variety of flavours depending on the area in which it is grown.
Pinot Gris is thought to have originated as a mutant form of the pinot noir grape. Its fruit usually looks a cloudy grayish-blue, but can be brownish pink, black, or even white.
The grey-blue tinge of the Pino Gris skin is the reason behind its name (gris means grey in French).
The word pinot, which comes from the word meaning “pine cone” in French, could have been given to it because the grapes grow in small pine cone-shaped clusters.
What is Pinot Grigio?
The Italian Pinot Grigio grape variety is genetically identical to Pinot Gris, however, the resulting wine differs slightly.
Pinot Grigio is lighter bodied than Pinot Gris. It also has a drier and crisper palate.
Pinot Grigio tends to be made in a fairly simple style with an emphasis on clean flavours and crisp acidity. They can vary from pale straw in colour to rich golden hues.
Pinot Gris, on the other hand, is richer and fuller-bodied with higher alcohol and a sweeter palate with more fruit flavours.
Pinot Grigio is also harvested earlier in the growing season than the French Pinot Gris grapes.
Popular Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio
Trimbach Pinot Gris Alsace Réserve 2017
Trimbach Pinot Gris Alsace Réserve 2017 is a delicate, complex Pinot Gris from the Alsace region in France.
France’s Alsace region is known for its aromatic white wines. The Trimbach family has been producing wine there since 1626, and they make some of the best examples of the region’s classic varietals, including Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurtztraminer.
The Trimbach Pinot Gris Réserve 2017 is a great example of what this grape can offer when it’s grown in the right place by the right people.
The 2017 vintage was an excellent one for this wine, which is fermented in stainless steel but spends time aging in oak barrels that were previously used to age wine from the previous harvest.
Venica & Venica Jesera Pinot Grigio 2018
Venica & Venica Jesera Pinot Grigio is a salmon-coloured pinot grigio. It is rosé-like and shows nectarines and peaches. It contains hints of tannins on the medium-bodied palate.
The wine is intense, dry, full, and has a soft but firm bite. It has a lively scent that is marked by notes of acacia flower, and it tastes very balanced in the mouth.
Venica & Venica has been active in Collio since 1938, when Marcello Venica planted his first vineyard in the hills of Rosazzo in Friuli’s Collio.