What’s The Difference Between Pinot Gris And Pinot Grigio?

Pinot Gris, also known as Pinot Grigio, is a grape varietal used to produce a variety of increasingly fashionable dry wines all around the globe. In Australia and New Zealand, the terms ‘Gris’ and ‘Grigio’ are used to differ the two different styles of dry white wine produced by using the same grape varietal.

Inspired by the wines of Alsace in France, Pinot Gris wines are more richer, full-bodied, spicier, and move viscous in texture. In addition, they tend to have greater cellaring and ageing potential. On the other hand, the popular Italian style Pinot Grigio wines are typically fresh, crisp, lighter-bodied, with lively stone fruit and floral aromas and a hint of spice.

Today Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio grapes are planted in almost every wine-growing region across the world. But the majority of these countries are producing the more fashionable Pinot Grigio style, which is typically easy-drinking and designed for early consumption.

One of the downsides that wine consumers are finding with Pinot Grigio style, is that now there is too many high volume, industrially made, diluted Pinot Grigio wines, which is for this noble variety a great unkindness. But thankfully, there still many Pinot Grigio wines that still stand for balance and quality.

When it comes to food pairing, these wines work differently as well. Because Pinot Grigio wines are lighter, they are better suited for lighter dishes such as grilled fish, shrimp or light appetizers. In contrast, the richness of Pinot Gris wines make them suitable with heartier fare including roast pork, chicken casseroles, veal chop, rabbit and also hard cheeses.

Below are some Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio wines that we believe, deserve your attention due to their balance and quality.

Pinot Gris

• 2013 Babich Marlborough Pinot Gris, New Zealand – A sweetly fruited palate wine that pairs well with snapper fillets, hot baked ham and glazed kumara.
• 2012 J.L. Wolf Villa Wolf Pinot Gris, Germany – A fresh, juicy and crisp aromatic dry wine that has hints of citrus, pear and toasted nuts on the nose and amazing minerality and complexity on the palate.
• 2014 Red Claw Pinot Gris, Mornington Peninsula – A wine that presents lovely floral aromas and bright fruit flavors along with a soft textured palate.

Pinot Grigio

• 2011 Stefano Lubiana Pinot Grigio, Tasmania – A pale green/gold colour wine with savoury spice and floral aromas and a more complex palate.
• 2012 Mount Langi Billi Billi Pinot Grigio, Gippsland – This wine shows a great varietal pear and lychee characters along with bold textured fruit and fine acid structure.
• 2014 Pizzini Pinot Grigio, King Valley – A wine that has fresh and crisp palate and ripe pear aromas. Its crispy palate makes it a perfect pair with seafood dishes.

Source: http://www.wineonline.com.au/white-wine/pinot-gris/