A TALE OF TWO PINOTS: THURSTQUEEN SPILLS THE TEA ON PINOT GRIS AND PINOT GRIGIO
Pinot Grigio v Pinot Gris…👯♀️
A lot of people ask me about Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. They want to know what are the differences between the two grapes. Here’s the thing:
They’re the same!
Pinot Grigio is the Italian name for this varietal and Pinot Gris is just the French name. They’re just two sides of the same grapey little coin. If Pinot Grigio were to have an astrological star sign, I’m sure it would be a Gemini because it is one grape with two very distinctive sides.
The ‘Grigio is one of the most popular grapes in America. If it were a person, it would surely be Miss America. And without question, the ‘Grigio would have participated in varsity cheer in High School and been elected Prom Queen. It’s the grape at the party all the other grapes want to talk to, and everybody fawns over it all the time.
There’s something about it that’s just so refreshing, with its zesty acidity. It’s light, pleasant, with bright fruity citrus qualities, and definitely an LBD (little black dress) wine that goes with pretty much everything. You can find a lot of ‘Grigios or The Gris for relatively little money. And most of them are relatively safe bets.
I also think it’s so popular because people feel super cultured when they say the name. That, and it seems like the Real Housewives crowd can’t seem to get enough of this wine.
With all that in mind, I wanted to break down the history of the most popular grape in school, dive into the subtly different qualities of a ‘Grigio vs. The Gris, and what occasions you’d want to choose one over the other.
The history of Pinot Grigio - the grape prom queen.
Which came first?
The ‘Grigio or the ‘Gris?
Pinot Grigio is French in origin. So if you want to be real OG status, the “old school,” name for Pinot Grigio is technically Pinot Gris.
This grape was born in none other than the Burgundy region and was referred to as, “Pinot Gris.” Many believe the Gris is a mutation of Pinot Noir because of its beautiful, coppery skin tone.
The ‘Gris was super popular in the Middle Ages. It traveled to Switzerland in 1300 and was a favorite among royalty, such as Emperor Charles IV who had cuttings imported to Hungary.
Pinot Gris got around a lot back in the day and traveled to places like Germany, where it was called Rülander. Eventually, The ‘Gris made its way over to Northern Italy — more specifically Alto Adige and the Veneto. It became known as Pinot Grigio, and after it became one of the most popular wines in Italy, it soon gained traction in the United States.
It was inexpensive and tasted really good. People fell in love with the stuff. Yet despite all of this — haters gonna hate.
The haters of this grape often say it’s boring with not much to it. And in all honestly, it’s because they’ve usually had some $8.00 or $9.00 Pinot Grigio that was really inexpensive to make and is just kind of …. blah.
But here’s the thing, if you have a really well made Pinot Grigio and are willing to fork out just a little more dough or find a producer that really nails this grape, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
So without further ado, let’s talk about the styles. The ‘Gris versus ‘Grigio.
The ‘Gris - For The Thinkers
Pinot Gris is the “emo” version of Pinot Grigio.
You take your white wines seriously. You don’t think of white wine as some sort of throwback sort of beverage you have at a party. You want a white wine you can sit with, ponder, wax philosophically about the layered nuances and complexity and the lingering finish. If this is you? You should probably hit up the ‘Gris.
Pinot Gris is a weighty white wine. It’s the way more serious than its twin, the Grigio. It’s oily and fatty in terms of texture and has a very long finish that goes for dayzzzz. If you’re into honey, ripe peaches, and like your wines to have a little bit of spice to them like candied ginger, you should definitely start looking for Pinot Gris.
Orange wine hipsters… where u at?
For all the hipsters into natty wines, you’re probably going to find a lot of orange wines made with Pinot Gris. Because of this grape’s amazing color that stems from its skins, it’s perfect for creating wines with a beautiful orange glow. If you want to read up about Orange Wine, please be sure to check out my previous blogpost on Orange Wine.
A lot of wines made in the US with this varietal are called Pinot Gris. And they are done in a style very similar to the French style of Pinot Gris. They’re all about really ripe fruit, spices, and are super weighty white wines.
The ‘Grigio - For The Social Butterflies
Pinot Grigio is the life of the party. It’s got way racier acidity than its more emo cousin, and it’s a lot lighter as well. With Pinot Grigio you are more likely to get ripe lemons, white flowers, lime, and even some salinity (that means saltiness.)
Think of Pinot Grigio as the more grown up, sophisticated, alcoholic version of lemonade. If you’re one of those people who loves your wines dry af, and you totally dig wines with good acid — the Grigio is definitely your friend.
These wines are perfect for a hot day and go amazing with anything fresh. A crisp salad, roast vegetables, seafood, and even creamier pasta dishes.
Not all Italian Pinot Grigios are made in this style, some Pinot Grigios are made in ways that are stylistically a lot closer to Pinot Gris. I remember back when I was slinging wines, one of my favorite Pinot Grigios was an extended skin contact - Orange Wine - made by Venica and Venica. It had a similar roundness and weight to it that was very characteristic of the ‘Gris.
IF YOU LIKE PINOT GRIS/GRIGIO, TRY DRINKING THESE WINES:
So you’re a fan of the ‘Grigio and the ‘Gris, huh? Well, you wouldn’t be alone in that department. For those who love the ‘Grigio may I recommend Soave, Picpoul de Pinet, or Albariño.
And that leads me to our:
PICK OF THE WEEK: Es Okay 2019 Pinot Gris Mendocino County - $30.00 @ Goodboybob Coffee Roasters
You’re reading this review thinking… Okay… A $30.00 Pinot Gris? Seriously? SERIOUSLY? I’ll be honest — I thought that too, at first. Sure — the label is super cute and so is the bottle… But… Thirty Bucks for a freaking Pinot Gris? What makes this wine so darn special?
Turns out a lot.
I sold a lot of the ‘Gris and ‘Grigio back in the day and I’ll be honest with you. A lot of the cheaper stuff was throwaway wine. Most Pinot Grigio in the $8.00-$10.00 range is flabby, unsophisticated and insipid stuff.
In fact, I would argue that if there are certain varietals worth spending a little more of your hard earned cash on — Pinot Grigio would be one of them. The most interesting expressions of both Grigio and Gris I would run into during my slinging days were usually priced in the 20 to 30 dollar range — and very exciting wines they were.
The Es Okay Pinot Gris is anything but, “okay.” In fact, “Es Enchanting,” or “Es Fun,” would probably be a more appropriate label for such a wine. It just shows that the folks over at Rootdown Wine Cellars are a humble sort, which makes the wine all the more appealing.
The Es Okay White wine from Mendocino County tastes like fresh Golden Delicious apples with candied ginger. She has plenty of pep in her step and practically dances with a brilliantly pulsing acidity. If you’re into mineral driven wines - specifically White Wines from the Alsace - the Es Okay Pinot Gris would be your jam because stylistically it has this really compelling “Old World,” sort of quality to it. Nothing about it reads, “California Pinot Gris.” (I mean this in the best possible way.)
Pinot Grigio is a very competitive category if you’re in the Wine Business. Everybody’s trying to make one, and everybody’s trying to get a Pinot Grigio as a “by the glass” at a restaurant. I remember being a broker and inevitably we would be selling some of Gris or Grigio that just wouldn’t move no matter how cheaply we discounted it. This was usually because the wine was sort of… Blah. It just had this boring roundness without any structure. And it would just sort of lie in your mouth like a clam - excuse the image. Or conversely it would go to the other extreme, where it was some sort of way too linear acid bomb that was also just as uninteresting. I used to taste wines like this and think, “If I want to suck on a lemon, I can do that on my own time, thanks.”
The best expressions of Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio have that perfect combination of acidity, with good body and structure. I guess what I’m trying to say is, they have balance.
The Es Okay Pinot Gris has about as much balance as Philippe Petit did when he did his famous walk across the Twin Towers in 1974. And that is a lot.
I dig this wine. And decided to pair it with the holy grail of all Pinot Gris pairings — at least in my opinion. Mexican Food.
As you know, dear reader, the Grigio and The Gris are, LBD - Little Black Dress - wines, meaning they go with pretty much everything you can imagine under the sun. As someone who once sold Mexican wine — yes such a thing exists — and had to go to a lot of Mexican restaurants to hawk my wines, I went toe to toe with a lot of Pinot Gris.
The truth is, Pinot Gris is simply amazing with Mexican food. Maybe it’s the spices like ginger and pepper, the aromas of coconut and bananas, or those citrus qualities… Who knows? Regardless, it’s one of my favorite pairings.
If you live in the LA area and you want to have a glass of this wine, be sure to bop on down to Culver City and check out Goodboybob - a coffee shop, café, and wine bar located at the new Citizen Public Market. There’s plenty of outdoor dining at the space. They have a fabulously interesting wine program and are pouring this wine for $11.00 a glass.
Now THAT is a steal.
Bop on over there and grab a glass - if you can have just one.
So, tell me - are you a Grigio or Gris kinda person? Let me know in the comments!