Pinot Gris/Grigio

Pinot Gris, internationally known as Pinot Grigio, is a versatile white wine grape capable of producing markedly different styles depending on climate, terroir and winemaking. A colour mutation of Pinot Noir, the variety develops distinctive grey-blue to pinkish skins while normally producing white wine. Its expressions range from light, crisp and mineral to rich, textured and age-worthy.

In Alsace, Pinot Gris produces some of its fullest and most complex wines. Typical aromas include ripe pear, apricot, dried fruit and subtle smoke, often accompanied by honey, beeswax and gentle spice. The wines combine weight and roundness with balancing acidity and can range from dry to richly sweet. Late-harvest Vendanges Tardives and botrytised Sélection de Grains Nobles demonstrate the variety’s capacity for concentration, complexity and extended ageing.

In northern Italy, the grape is known as Pinot Grigio and is particularly important in Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto. Italian expressions commonly show pear, green apple, citrus and white flowers, supported by refreshing acidity and a clean, dry finish. High-altitude vineyards in Alto Adige can produce precise, mineral wines, while carefully made examples from Friuli often display greater texture, depth and savoury complexity.

Although widely associated with pale white wine, Pinot Grigio’s naturally coloured skins also allow the production of traditional ramato wines. Brief contact between the juice and skins creates a copper or pale rose colour together with additional texture and subtle savoury character. This historic style illustrates the variety’s close relationship to both white and lightly skin-contact winemaking.

Beyond France and Italy, Pinot Gris is important in Germany, Oregon, New Zealand and Australia. In Germany it is known as Grauburgunder or, for some richer traditional expressions, Ruländer. Whether presented as structured Pinot Gris or refreshing Pinot Grigio, the grape’s combination of fruit purity, textural versatility and sensitivity to terroir has made it one of the world’s most widely recognised white wine varieties.