Pinot Grigio


Pinot Grigio [PEE-noh GREE-goh]

Pinot Grigio (a.k.a. Pinot Gris) can be found in the Lombardy region around Oltrepo Pavese and in Alto Adige, Italy's northern most wine region. The grape is also prominent in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

Grigio is Italian for "gray," (Gris in French) which may refer to the grayish hue of this Pinot varietal. Pinot Grigio is thought to be a clone of a French Pinot gris (which is thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape). Pinot gris can vary widely in color from silvery blue to grayish violet to ashen yellow. The grapes' varying colors produce wines that range from white to slightly pink. The style of wines ranges from crisp, light and dry-such as the Pinto Grigio produced in northern Italy, to the rich, fat, honeyed versions from France's alsace region (where Pinot Gris is called Tokay d'Alsace).

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