Pinot Gris versus Pinot Grigio: A Face Off
Ever wonder the difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio? Here’s your answer: They are the same! Well, kind of.
Pinot Gris is the French name and Pinot Grigio is the Italian name for the SAME GRAPE!
But even though they’re the same grape there is an unofficial, unspoken difference between the two. This is because the French and the Italians have quite a different approach to how they make wines from Pinot G.
PINOT GRIS VERSUS PINOT GRIGIO
Pinot Grigio is your porch-pounding, pool-lounging, summer-afternoon easy drinker.
In Italy, winemakers aim for this Pinot Grigio style—mostly for exporting to the States because Americans this is what Americans know and expect.
The wines are fermented in stainless steel with as little exposure to oxygen as possible. This keeps them fresh and zingy and preserves the bright fruit characteristics. It also means that they break down pretty quickly, so these are not wines that age well. Drink them soon and fast, ideally with your feet hanging out of your pink flamingo blow-up pool float.
Pinot Grigio vibes ⬇️
Pinot Gris is the age-worthy, cheese-friendly, serious-thinker drinker.
In France, Pinot Gris is most prized from the region of Alsace in northeastern France, near the German border. Winemakers take great care with their Pinot Gris, aging them in barrels to expose the wines to oxygen (the barrels are neutral so they don’t impart a flavor). This makes wines that are rich in body, spicy and complex in flavor, and less aromatic and acidic than their Italian cousins. They age beautifully (taking on more honey and nutty notes) and are ideal food-pairing wines.
Classy Pinot Gris vibes ⬇️
Bonus hot tip
If you see a wine from elsewhere (not France or Italy) labeled Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio, you can mostly bet that they’ve made the wine in accordance with the style by which they’ve chosen to label it. Eg, they call it Pinot Gris? They probably made it in the French style. Pinot Grigio? That’s your fruity porch pounder.
P.S. Did you know that the Italian version of Pinot Grigio has only been the porch pounder we know since the 70s? Before that it was an entirely different beast! They called it Ramato. If you’re a member of Sunday School Wine Society, go watch our video on how old-fashioned Ramato “downgraded” to boring Pinot Grigio (and then made its way back again).