What is the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot
Gris? I hear this a lot. To most people, Pinot Gris is a mispronunciation of
their favorite white wine, while to others Pinot Grigio refers to a simple wine
from Italy. Both would be wrong, so this week, we’ll take a look at one of the
fastest growing (in popularity) white wines: Pinot Gris.
Because of the two names, Pinot Gris has a bit of an
identity crisis, and that is not the only thing that confuses people. What may
come as a surprise to most wine drinkers is that Pinot Gris doesn’t come from a
white grape. To look at it on the vine, you would think it should make red
wine. In one of my earlier blogs, I had suggested that this grape be included
in the list of Noble Grapes. This is due to its heritage, and its ability to
make a variety of styles…not to mention that it can be grown in a number of
regions.
Pinot Gris is thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety. It has a long history in eastern France, and has traveled
throughout Europe before settling into the current growing regions. The word
“Pinot”, which comes from the French word meaning "pine cone". “Gris”
means gray in French, and comes from the grayish-blue berries that grow on the
vine (but the grapes can also have a brownish pink color).
Recent DNA research has shown that Pinot Gris has a
similar DNA profile to Pinot noir and that the color difference is derived from
a genetic mutation. The leaves and the vines of both grapes are so similar that
the coloration is the only aspect that differentiates the two. Given the close
relationship between Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, it is not surprising that the
two varieties act in similar ways in the vineyard. The gray version prefers
reasonably fertile, mineral-rich soils with good depth and a cooler, temperate
climate. In warmer regions, Pinot Gris can produce a flabby, oily texture in
the mouth from low acidity combined with high alcohol. Pinot Gris matures relatively early with high
sugar levels. This can lead to either a
sweeter wine, or, if fermented to dryness, a high alcohol wine.
Pinot Gris has been known since the Middle Ages and is
thought to have originated in the Burgundy region. At that time, it could be
found, interplanted with Pinot Noir, and was often blended with the red wine to
soften it. It spread from Burgundy,
along with Pinot noir, by the Cistercian Monks, who planted vines in Hungary. Later,
it found its way to Germany, where it was known as Ruländer (or Grauburgunder).
But the greatest success for Pinot Gris may be in Alsace, France, and in Italy,
where it is known as Pinot Grigio. Italy takes the prize for having the most
extensive plantings of the grape.
Italy‘s Pinot Grigio is a fixture in the northeast of the
country with good, and occasionally exceptional wines, produced in
Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino. The Veneto and the Alto Adige are also
widely planted to Pinot Grigio, and it is in these regions that great
quantities of easy-drinking, inexpensive wine are produced.
The Pinot Gris of Alsace, however, makes a more serious
wine, with medium to high alcohol and low to medium acidity. The wines are
typically dry (excepting, of course the late-harvested and botrytis-affected
wines) but discovering some residual sugar is not at all uncommon.
Just as its heritage might indicate, Pinot Gris is
similar to Pinot Noir, in that the terroir has relevance to the final product. There
are two dominant styles of wine produced from the grape—one deeply colored and
full of body, and one much paler, lighter, and higher in acid. Italian growers
typically harvest when their Pinot Grigio is less mature physiologically,
before sugar levels get too high and acids get too low. In Alsace, the grape is
left on the vine longer, not only to increase sugar and reduce acidity, but to
allow for the development of flavors in the grape. Yields, as well, are
typically higher in Italy than in Alsace.
Pinot Gris is a versatile grape, capable of making
high-quality white wines of varying sweetness levels, of contributing to
sparkling wines in some regions, and even of withstanding and improving under
the influence of barrel maturation and time. But, the dominant approach to
Pinot Gris is to ferment the juice in inert vessels like stainless steel after
a careful pressing that is designed to minimize contact between the juice and
the skins. Cool fermentation follows, and bottling is done soon after
fermentation to preserve the fresh aromas of the wine.
Some producers have strayed from the “standard recipe” to
achieve greater complexity, deeper color, and greater potential for ageing.
Brief skin contact during pressing can give the wine a deeper color—anywhere
from a brassy yellow to a salmon pink. Even barrel fermentation or maturation is
being explored, adding aromas we associate with oak and controlled oxidation.
Based on the vineyard methods and winery practices, the
aroma of Pinot Gris will vary. Paler and lighter-bodied examples of the wine
often display subtle apple or pear aromas while darker, fuller-bodied examples
have a much more complex set of aromas including apricot, peach, musk, and honeysuckle.
Outside of France, Italy and Germany, Pinot Gris has met
with mixed results, and though there are plantings in most countries, it is Oregon
and California that have had some success. In Oregon the wines are medium bodied with a
yellow to copper-pink color and aromas of pear, apple, and/or melon. In
California, the Pinot Gris is more light-bodied, with a crisp, refreshing taste
and some pepper and arugula notes.
Pinot Grigio is considered an "early to market
wine" that can be bottled and out on the market within 4–12 weeks after
fermentation.
If you like Pinot Grigio, then you might also like Albariño,
Silvaner, or Chenin Blanc.
