Pinot gris and pinot grigio, two names for the same species of grape, produce a typically dry to delicately sweet style of white wine that is known for its light to medium and even sometimes full body and moderate to high levels of acidity.
Depending upon whether the spelling “gris” or “grigio” is used, the exact flavour profile of the wine can vary quite significantly, often making it possible to separate bottles of these wines by what appears on the label.
For a quick indication as to the flavour profiles of these wines, and some of the best food types to match them with, see below.
As mentioned previously, pinot gris and pinot grigio are two names for what is actually the same species of grape.
The grape itself first appeared at some point during the Middle Ages in the Burgundy region in France and it is easily recognisable thanks to its greyish-blue to reddish-pink colouring.
The grape is thought to be a mutation of the red wine producing grape varietal pinot noir, although it is unknown exactly how the species came into existence.
For more on the history of grape varietal, read this article, which goes further in depth.
In France it is always referred to as pinot gris, with the “gris” part of the name meaning “grey” in French, a direct nod to the colouring of the skin of the grape.
At some point in history, however, the grape varietal made its way to northern Italy, where it was renamed “pinot grigio”, with “grigio” being Italian for “grey”.
As well as changing the name, the Italians also completely changed the style of wine that is produced.
Whilst the French preferred to use the grape varietal to produce a more medium to full bodied and rich style of white wine with layers of sweet spice, the Italians used it to create an intensely dry and acidic style of light-bodied white wine that is characteristically more intense in its flavours of citrus and stone fruit.
Outside of these two countries it can be named under either of these two classifications, with winemakers generally adhering to the Italian spelling when producing wines with similar characteristics to those coming from Northern Italy or the French spelling when crafting wines that adhere more to the French winemakers traditional approach.
This isn’t always the case, however, so care must be taken to research the winemaker and winery before purchasing a bottle as it is often the case, particularly in Australia, for winemakers to produce pinot grigio wines in the French style and vice versa.
As indicated earlier, the exact flavour profile of the wine can vary quite extensively depending upon where it is produced and whether the winemaker chooses to follow the Italian or French winemaking approach.
When it is labelled pinot gris, the wine will often be far richer in flavour, texture, colour, and aroma, with softer amounts of acidity and an enhanced body, usually around the medium to full bodied mark.
Common flavours often include sweet and crisp pear and apple, delicate amounts of citrus, and often finishing with a spiced apple or pear aftertaste and layers of honey and nectar.
Bottles produced to the Italian pinot grigio style, however, will be far lighter in their body, more pale their appearance, and noticeably drier in their taste, with practically no amounts of sweet spice flavour.
Instead the wine is highly refreshing due to its enhanced levels of acidity and stronger flavours of citrus, crisp pear, and stone fruit.
This site here provides a fairly succinct summary of all of the above points, for those looking to explore other articles explaining the differences between these two styles of wine.
Originating in the Burgundy region located in eastern-central France, pinot gris wines are now found throughout many of the country's top wine-producing regions.
Whilst Burgundy might be the historical home of pinot gris, it is in the Alsace region, located near to the border with Germany, where the varietal really shines.
To discover more on the grape varietal in other parts of the country, as well it’s growth internationally, read this article, which elaborates further.
The Alsace region in eastern France is a highly unique wine-producing region that shares commonalities between both French and German winemaking techniques and schools of thought.
Much of the region is an amalgamation of both German and French cultural influences, with both languages being widely spoken amongst the local population and the architecture of the area reflecting that found in both nations.
When it comes to the wines produced there, Alsacian vintners are most renowned for producing dry style rieslings, however, gewürztraminer, pinot blanc, pinot gris, and even pinot noir grapes are also commonly cultivated.
When looking at the examples of pinot gris produced in this region, it is often the case that they are made to a delicately sweet style, with prominent flavours often including spiced pear or apple, honey, nectar, and sometimes delicate amounts of citrus on the finish to add a subtle degree of refreshing acidity.
They are sometimes aged in oak, adding additional layers of flavour to the wine and it is mostly the case that bottles of Alsatian pinot gris will always be medium to full bodied in their style.
This article here provides more information on some of the top producers from the region as well as the flavour profiles of their bottlings, for those who wish to explore the region’s wines in further detail.
Although the French were the first cultivators of the pinot gris/grigio grape varietal, it is the Italians who have mastered the art of turning a typically medium to full bodied and rich style of wine into a zesty and refreshingly acidic summertime crowd pleaser.
Much like the Marlborough region does with sauvignon blanc, the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli champion the cause of Italian pinot grigio style wines globally.
When tasting bottles of pinot grigio coming out of Italy, it is often the case that you will notice flavours highly reminiscent of crisp pear and apple, citrus, and even a noticeable trace of mineral-like quality within what is a very light-bodied style of wine with high amounts of zingy acidity.
For more on the taste of Italian pinot grigio, and those wines made to this style in other parts of the world, be sure to visit this page, which provides further insights into the origins and flavour profile of these wines.
As mentioned previously, it is often hard to determine exactly which style of wine you can expect when considering a bottle of Australian pinot gris or pinot grigio as winemakers are not bound to follow typical guidelines when labelling their products.
Perhaps one of the best methods of determining whether it is in the French or Italian style is to consider the colour of the wine in the bottle or glass, as pinot gris wines tend to be far more golden and deeper in their colour whilst the lighter style pinot grigio wines are often known for their very pale appearance.
In any case, the grape varietal made its way to Australia thanks to the pioneering work of James Busby, who is also responsible for bringing many other notable grape varietals to the country in the early 19th century.
It struggled for years, however, and was consistently overlooked in favour of other more popular warm climate varietals but eventually saw growth when, in the late 20th century, winemakers in the cool climate region of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria started to experiment with producing the French pinot gris style wines.
It is in the cool climate areas of Australia, notably the Mornington Peninsula, where the French style pinot gris wines are often produced, and the King Valley, where the Italian method of producing fresh pinot grigio style wines is followed, that the varietal has really found its footing.
That being said, as winemakers from the Mornington Peninsula region are really responsible for jumpstarting the growth of pinot gris and pinot grigio wines locally, it is important to start with this region when considering the grape varietal as it exists in Australia.
The Mornington Peninsula, located just south of the major city of the state of Victoria, Melbourne, is a well known cool climate region that produces some of the best examples of Australian pinot gris and to a lesser extent, pinot grigio.
As this region is more renowned for producing the French style of pinot gris, the bottles coming out of the Mornington Peninsula are often characterised by their flavours of ripe pear and apple, delicate citrus, and sweet spice.
These flavours are also presented within what is a typically medium to full bodied style of wine that tends to taste somewhat sweet, especially when compared to the quintessential Italian pinot grigio.
To go deeper into those wines coming out of the Mornington Peninsula and other parts of the country, check out this site, which provides further insights into the grape varietal as it is made in Australia.
Due to the ability for pinot gris and pinot grigio wines to be made to completely variable styles, they have an innate ability to be paired with a range of food options, depending upon whether it is made to the French or Italian style.
As this region is more renowned for producing the French style of pinot gris, the bottles coming out of the Mornington Peninsula are often characterised by their flavours of ripe pear and apple, delicate citrus, and sweet spice.
These flavours are also presented within what is a typically medium to full bodied style of wine that tends to taste somewhat sweet, especially when compared to the quintessential Italian pinot grigio.
To go deeper into those wines coming out of the Mornington Peninsula and other parts of the country, check out this site, which provides further insights into the grape varietal as it is made in Australia.
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