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There is confusion on the Internet and near-professional circles: Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are translated the same way – “gray pinot”. Is it the same variety or is there a difference between them? In fact, these are the same grapes, but the white wine made from it has different nuances and characteristics, depending on the “homeland” and production technology.
Origin
Pinot Grigio (aka Pinot Gris) is a mutation of the famous Pinot Noir white grape variety. The first mention of this offshoot of the Pino family occurs in the XNUMXth century. It is known for certain that the wine from these berries enjoyed the favor of Emperor Charles IV himself, and then spread throughout Europe.
The birthplace of gray Pinot is Burgundy, but it was in Italy that winemakers learned how to make light, fragrant and refreshing wine from it, eclipsing the traditional Pinot Gris.
Success for Pinot Grigio came towards the end of the XNUMXth century, when winemakers learned to control the temperature of fermentation (fermentation), and it turned out that gray berries can produce not only sour cheap wine, but also an invigorating “clean” drink with obvious honey notes.
Features
Like all members of this family, Pino Gris is a very capricious variety with low yields. It ripens well in cool areas, and for the excellent taste of berries it is important that there is a noticeable difference between day and night temperatures.
The taste that Pinot Grigio wine has is highly dependent on climatic conditions and soil, so a DOC (Denominazione di Origine Protretta, quality control by origin) has not yet been created, including all regions of its production: too different drinks are obtained, it would be strange unite them under one common standard.
Pinot Grigio grapes are visually almost indistinguishable from their progenitor, the Pinot Noir variety – at least until ripening, when the berries acquire a characteristic pink or purple color. In all other respects, the clusters are identical: the same small tightly packed grapes, the same cone-shaped brush, resembling a cone in shape, after which the variety got its name.
The difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris
Recall, regardless of the name of the wine, we are talking about the same grape variety (Pinot Gris), but in France they make wine with a rich flavor palette (Gris), and in Italy – a light, floral and slightly sour version (Griggio) .
These two wine styles originated in the above countries, but have now spread throughout the world. Pinot Grigio is also produced in Germany (where it is known as Rulander), in Hungary (they will say Szurkebarat on the bottles), in some American states, and in other areas. Not everywhere products meet high Italian standards, so you need to choose a bottle to the table with caution.
Types of wine Pinot Grigio and Gris
There are three variations:
- Mineral dry wine. Produced mainly in northern Italy, popular in Austria, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary. Berries in the Alpine mountains retain high acidity, hence the recognizable taste. It is recommended to serve with french fries or mussels, drink in the summer. White dry Pinot Grigio has a fairly simple bouquet with a minimum of fruit nuances, contains 10-12.5% alcohol.
- Fruit dry wine. This drink is on the very border with Pinot Gris: rich fruity taste, hints of lemon, yellow apple, white peach. Minimum acidity. It is made not only in Italy, but also in Australia, New Zealand, Chile.
- Fruity sweet wine. This is a pure Gris with honey, caramel, citrus flavors, produced in France.
There is also a pink Pinot Grigio – made by long insisting on grape pulp and acquires a light strawberry hue. This wine can be found in the Italian region of Friuli, it is called Ramato, has nuances of raspberries, cherries, dried cranberries and old leather.
How to drink Pinot Grigio wine
White Pinot Grigio is served chilled to a temperature of 7 degrees and is a gastronomic pair with poultry, fish, and vegetables. Often this appetizing drink is offered as an aperitif.
Pinot Grigio is a dry, light, fruity-floral wine that quickly quenches thirst and refreshes on a hot day. Its French counterpart (Pinot Gris) is more “full-bodied”, with a pronounced taste, without citrus and mineral notes, more suitable for dessert dishes.
Italian “gray” wine is aged in steel tanks or old barrels so that the taste does not become tannic. Pinot Grigio is sparkling, sometimes it is part of blends (blends) or used to produce complex wines (then aging on the lees and malolactic fermentation are used), but most often, Pinot Grigio is a young (if not young) monovarietal wine, inexpensive, simple and very “summery”.