Pinot Gris vs Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris wine

grapes in Kaiserstuhl, Germany;

Photo © ndrwfgg

Pinot Gris / PEE-noh GREE (French)

Pinot Grigio / PEE-noh GREE-jee-o (Italian)

Both forms of the word mean “Grey Pinot”. “Pinot” means “Pinecone” in French – possibly named because the grapes grow in small pinecone shaped clusters.

To ditch any confusion, they’re both referring to the same white wine grape variety of the species known as Vitis Vinifera (pronounced VEE-tiss Vih-NIFF-er-ah) – a native European grape species.

There are numerous contradictory articles that can be found on the subject that make general statements on what you can expect of this wine from different regions, but I’ve found there to be exceptions to ALL of them! I’ve read that you can expect French Pinot Gris to almost always be oaked (following tradition) and fuller bodied than Italian Pinot Grigio which is almost always fermented in stainless steel and found to show crispness yet taste almost diluted. I’ve also read that Oregon Pinot Gris (whether they call it Gris or Grigio) tend to follow the French Alsatian style of the wine. But you really have to be careful when making assumptions about American wines, because all the rules are thrown out the window here while nearly every wine maker is trying to redefine (or reinvent) their own version of any given wine. So how many styles are there of this white wine? As many as your palate can detect!

From what I’ve read and tasted, my best recommendation to know the styles of a Pinot Gris or Grigio that you might prefer, is to try them – especially since they’re typically inexpensive. This is an affordable, fun, light, usually “dry” to “medium dry” easy drinking summer wine that can be a little tangy, and will usually have citrus, pear, or apple aromas and flavors. To enhance your enjoyment, try pairing this wine with seafood, light pastas and cheese, and roasted or sautéed veggies (especially red peppers and mushrooms). Just a little hint to help your wine pair better with a roasted or sautéed dish, add it to the ingredients or as a glaze just before taking it off the heat.

Instead of buying a case of (or getting stuck on) any one single Pinot Gris or Grigio, have fun and mix it up the next time you’re restocking. And don’t forget, if you find one that you absolutely love and MUST have again, take a picture of the label with your cell phone so you can reference it the next time you’re in a wine store.