As we’ve seen, however, there is nothing dull and gray about its personality or potential. Gris and Grigio translate to “gray,” after the pink-gray appearance of the grapes. These versions often lean more toward Alsace, with ripe pear, honeysuckle and spice components. New Zealand is also making a splash with Pinot Gris, where it takes the French name. Accordingly, most examples lean more toward the Italian approach of crisp and clean. In California both names are used, though Pinot Grigio is more common. While typically crisp, it tends to have a bit more body than many Italian examples, and often includes white fruit notes like pear and apple along with citrus. In Oregon it is typically called Pinot Gris, and in style it falls somewhere between the two poles of France and Italy. Pinot Grigio will usually be fresher and lighter than wine labelled Pinot Gris, which will have an oilier, more full-bodied, and aromatic character. Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio finds a home in many other lands as well. Pair with: white meat, fish, vegetables, pasta. They are far more popular than more robust Pinot Gris wines due to their pleasant, approachable drinkability. Pinot Grigio wines are known to be lighter bodied, floral, and fruity with peach flavors. While there are regional differences of Pinot Grigio, the typical profile includes lemon, lime and subtle minerality. Pinot Grigio wines are white or pink wines made using the Italian clone of the Pinot Gris grape. The focus here is usually to produce a crisp, refreshing, lighter style of wine. Called Pinot Grigio, it is widely planted in northern and NE Italy. They often showcase notes of peach, ginger, spice, flinty smoke, earth and almonds. In Alsace, where in addition to small quantities of lush late harvest wines, Pinot Gris produces expressive, aromatic, smooth and full-bodied whites that are typically dry to off-dry. Originally from France, Pinot Gris is technically not a variety but a clone of Pinot Noir that carries a color mutation.

Stylistic differences often come into play, and this is quite true with Pinot Gris vs. Chardonnay suele ser un vino cremoso con aroma a hierba recién cortada, mientras que Pinot Grigio amargo y ligero. But spelling is often not the only point of departure. Las principales diferencias entre Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc y Pinot Grigio son: Chardonnay proviene de uvas de piel verde, mientras que Pinot Grigio proviene de uvas gris azuladas. Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache/Garnacha and of course Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio are common examples. Thus, a number of varietals are spelled differently, depending on their origin. We enjoy not only a wide world of wine, but also a wonderful world of cultures and languages. Pinot Grigio from NE Italy offers a lighter side, with a crisp and clean expression that relies on citrus flavors. Summary: Pinot Gris from the Alsace region of France is typically a bold, aromatic and a full-bodied dry white wine, sometimes off-dry, showing peach, spice and flinty notes.

Pinot gris vs grigio