Ep 362: The Grape Miniseries -- Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio)
Release Date: 02/16/2021
Wine for Normal People
My guest Felicity Carter is probably the most brilliant journalist in wine, and certainly one of the only ones doing vital investigative work in the field of wine, health, and the neo prohibitionist movement. From 2008 to 2021, she was editor-in-chief of , a global, English-language magazine, one of Germany’s oldest publishing houses. She reported from 22 countries in that position. She writes for Decanter, The Guardian, and pretty much every major prestigious wine publication out there. Photo: Felicity Carter. Credit: Felicity is the foremost authority on wine and health and...
info_outline Ep 508: Armenian Wine - Ancient Grapes, Modern Innovation, True Excellence with Aimee Keushguerian of Zulal & KeushWine for Normal People
In this show we explore the world of Armenian wine, which has roots in the ancient world and may be the oldest winemaking region in Europe. To tell us about these wines, the terroir, and the regions, I welcome Managing Director & Founder, Aimee Keushguerian. Aimee educates us on Armenian wine and tells us about the projects she and her family are undertaking to shape the modern Armenian wine industry, which is definitely getting noticed for its high quality and interesting grape varieties. Aimee Keushguerian, founder of Managing Director of Armenia is...
info_outline Ep 507: Innovative Pairing with Plant-based Food with the founders of Wineand2Veg.comWine for Normal People
Food and wine pairing is complex. But as many of us are trying to eat healthier, more plant-based diets it becomes an exercise in frustration. Traditional outlets barely ever talk about how to pair red wine with vegetarian dishes, beyond eggplant and mushrooms. Wendy Narby, a wine educator and writer in Bordeaux and Sally Evans, a winemaker and owner of (sette) aim to change that. This week they talk about their new site, which helps us learn to pair the wines of Bordeaux and wines like them with vegetarian dishes. This podcast and their site, , gives great ideas for pairings that...
info_outline Ep 506: The Wines of the Côtes de Bordeaux -- The Secret Best Value Wines of the RegionWine for Normal People
This time we explore the hidden gems of Bordeaux -- the Côtes de Bordeaux -- which make superb wines that few people know about. With an easy-drinking style, the are the hidden, affordable wines of Bordeaux. These historic vineyards are a collection of AOCs around eastern Bordeaux on sunny hillside slopes that grow a majority of Merlot and have similar soil types. These are not second or bulk wines – rather family-owned, often sustainable wines that are always a good value for money. This group of appellations under the marketing umbrella of Côtes de Bordeaux covers 9 - 10%...
info_outline Ep 505: Alternatives to a Favorite -- Grenache (Garnacha)Wine for Normal People
It's another edition of the "Alternatives to a Fave" series! This time: Grenache/Garnacha. As an extension of the Grape Mini-series, we come up with lists of wines that lovers of a specific grape can try as alternatives. Grenache/Garnacha comes in many different forms -- as a juicy, cherry-berry standalone grape in Spain, as lighter blender in the Rhône and Rioja, in rosé and fortified wines, and as full, serious wine in places like Priorat (Spain), Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France), and Australia, where old vines make very intense wines. Photo: Grenache grapes in California. Credit: Getty...
info_outline Ep 504: A Normal Wine Person Perspective on Greek Wine -- Patron Lindsey Miller Shares Her Love and Knowledge of GreeceWine for Normal People
For the first time, we have a on the show to share her passion and expertise! This week is a follow-up to This time, long time listener and friend, Lindsey Miller, joins as our guest, to talk about her passion for and knowledge of Greek wine. She helps bring this topic to life, giving us background on how she fell in love with Greece, got to know its wines, and developed some expertise on the subject. Lindsey shares tips and tricks on how to get the best Greek wine, talks about the challenges for the country’s wines in English-speaking markets, and makes helpful...
info_outline Ep 503: Greek Wine -- The Updated 10,000 Foot OverviewWine for Normal People
This show is an update to our previous shows on Greece. We hope to get you (re)started on your exploration of this ancient winemaking nation that has been reborn in recent years. Greek wines are unique, terroir-driven, and they harken back to the nation's ancient past and the very foundations of wine as a major part of the history in western civilization. With recent investments and modernization, the wines are better than ever and are worth exploring. Map from the Wines of Greece Although the places and grapes can be hard to pronounce (we did our best 🤷🏻♀️), they are easy...
info_outline Ep 502: Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone -- Why Napa County is Strangling Small WineriesWine for Normal People
This is a baffling story that includes a Napa history lesson, an idea of how the Valley has grown and then a jaunt into intrigue, sting operations, and what appears to be an effort to kill the goose that laid the golden egg by the Napa County government. It seems that the County is going after small wineries in an attempt to bankrupt them out of business. Friend of the pod, joins to discuss and explain the situation -- at least the parts that have an explanation! If you want background on Smith-Madrone, check out... Please support small wineries! Now, more than ever they need our...
info_outline Ep 501: Winemaker Thomas Bianciardi of San Filippo - Award-Winning Wines of Brunello di MontalcinoWine for Normal People
Thomas Bianciardi is the winemaker for the exceptional , the famed enclave of Tuscany. I had the honor of meeting him while on the to Tuscany this spring and loved the philosophy, the wines, and the way that Thomas explained the region. Photo: Thomas Bianciardi Credit: Wine For Normal People Thomas joins to discuss Montalcino, educate us about the region and tell us about how he and owner Roberto Gianneli make these exceptional wines that recently made list of top wines. These wines are a great reflection of the terroir and the people who make them. Photo: Roberto Gianneli, Owner of...
info_outline Ep 500: Listeners Ask About 500 Episodes of WFNPWine for Normal People
This show is listener driven, which makes sense since we have always had a listener focus at Wine For Normal People! We take some amazing questions about the podcast from listeners and reveal some fun facts about the show that you may not know. We cover things like: What experience did we have going into the podcast? How do we select guests and plan shows? How should a first-time listener approach 500 episodes? What regions do we like now that we didn't at the outset? What has changed with the show over the years? And much more. Lots of laughs and good fun, with some wine...
info_outlineOf the many grapes that we have covered in this series, possibly the hardest to define is the one in this show -- Pinot Gris. It's so complex in part because it goes by many names and can taste neutral and boring to oily, powerful, and bold with notes of smoke, ginger, and spice. It can be bone dry to amazingly sweet and can be powderpuff or very serious in quality.
Whatever the incarnation, wine drinkers lap it up! In the U.S., Pinot Grigio (the Italian style) is the second most-consumed wine behind Chardonnay, according to Impact Databank (the sister publication to Wine Spectator). But it's not just the US that loves this wine, it's growing like mad in Australia too.
In this show, we discuss the many sides of Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio, or Grauburgunder or whatever you want to call it! Here are the show notes:
We first discuss the grape itself:
- Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Grauburgunder, or Rulander are all the same grape and all are mutations of Pinot Noir, so similar to their parent that the only thing that is different is the color of the grape after veraision
- Pinot Gris is one of the darkest skinned grapes that makes white. It's fruit is gray-blue fruit but can be brown- pink, white or deep purple. As a result, the finished wine can have a copper tinge or be light pink
- The adjective gris is French for "gray" and the grape is named so because it has a grayish look to it. The gray name is used everywhere and has been adapted to local culture: Italian (grigio), German (grauer), Slovenian (sivi) and Czech (sede)
- Pinot Gris is thin skinned and does well in cool to moderate climates with very long growing seasons.
- Picking decision is essential to the wine's character for every wine but with Pinot Gris, it will determine whether it is insipid and neutral (picked early) or rich with higher alcohol, lower acidity and rich, full flavors like pears, apples, apricot, tropical fruit, ginger, spices, smoke, and mineral
"Pinot Grigio prior to harvest, vintage 2012" by stefano lubiana wines
is licensed under CC BY 2.0
We discuss some general ideas about winemaking
- There is a sharp distinction between early picked Pinot Grigio (the Italian style) and full bodied, rich and flavorful Pinot Gris (the Alsace, France style)
- Most cheap Pinot Grigio, in particular, is picked, fermented and brought to market quickly -- it is a cash cow
- Pinot Grigio styles rarely use oak, but Pinot Gris (French style) often use older, neutral barrels for fermentation to give the wines texture. These styles also go through sur lie aging to give more texture to the wine
The Growing regions and their styles:
Pinot Gris/Grigio is grown in: France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Germany, Romania, Canada, the U.S., Hungary, Switzerland, Russia, Moldova, China
_____________________________________________
Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio Around the world
Alsace, France
- Pinot Gris is 16 % of production in Alsace
- The grape thrives in the dry, sunny climate, with its long autumns. Yields are kept quite low and the best sites are the Grand Cru sites designated for Pinot Gris
- Alsace Pinot Gris is layered and bold with honey, ginger, spice, and bold apricot and sometimes tropical fruit notes. It can be picked late harvest (Vendanges Tardive) or allowed to develop botrytis (noble rot) that changes the wines into unctuous, full dessert wines.
- Occasionally these wines are oak-aged for texture, some are more medium bodied, many have residual sugar, so you must check the producer's style and web site to see how sweet the wine is
- These wines, in the past, were substitutes for red wines and accordingly, go with fuller food
- Top producers in Alsace: Albrecht, Blanck, Marcel Deiss, Dopff & Irion, Kuentz-Bas, Albert Mann, René Muré, Schlumberger, Trimbach
Italy
- Growing in Veneto, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, and Trentino Alto Adige, along with a few other northern areas (Valle d'Aosta) the Italian style is always picked a bit early and has an emphasis on dry, mineral flavors
- Unlike Alsace, where grapes develop over a long season, in Italy the goal is to harvest grapes early, and to have high yields. The result of this overcropping is dilution of flavor and a high acid wine that doesn't reflect the true character of the grape. Many experts charge that much of the Pinot Grigio planted in large vineyards is actually Pinot Bianco or even Trebbiano Toscano
- In the winery, stainless steel tanks are used and the wine is fermented and bottled quickly but the better wines can have light oak-ageing or skin contact
- Cheap Pinot Grigio has very little flavor or character. It is cheap and cheerful and nothing else.
- In Alto Adige -world-class Pinot Grigios from estate bottling are expensive but lead to nuttier, fruitier flavors that are recognizable as related to Pinot Gris. Producers include: Elena Walch, Franz Haas, Tiefenbruner, San Michele Appiano, Sanct Valentin Pinot Grigio, Alois Lageder, Cantina Terlano
- In Friuli, Isonzo has full, tropical notes and the cooler areas of Collio and Colli Orientali produce more saline, spicy, and mineral wines that can have a spritz to them. Lis Neris, Vie di Romans, Dessimis, and Marco Felluga are good producers
- In Valle d’Aosta, experts see high potential for these Pinot Gris to be the best in Italy – frequently mentioned by critics is Lo Triolet di Marco Martin, called Pinot Gris rather than Pinot Grigio
Germany
- Germany ranks third in the world for Grauburgunder production. Most of that is in Rheinhessen, the Pfalz, and Baden
- These wines tend to be lower in alcohol, higher in acidity and more mineral-driven that Alsace versions with floral, citrusy notes. All versions are made -- sparkling, dry, off-dry, and late harvest and botrytized sweet wine
- My favorite producer is Müller-Catoir from Pfalz
In Europe, Pinot Gris is made in...
- Burgundy – some people still use it
- Loire, where it's called Malvoisie
- Switzerland, where it has floral notes and a soft texture
- Luxembourg, where the wines are fuller
- Slovenia, which specializes in Pinot Grigio with skin contact These skin contact wines only use a bit of contact (24 – 48 hours of skin contact is common) to give Pinot Grigio flavor without stripping the essence of the grape
- Other places: Austria, Romania, Croatia, Hungary
New World
New Zealand
- Pinot Gris is the more like the Alsace version with a medium body and flavors like apple, pear, honeysuckle, spice, and toast
- On the North Island, especially from Hawkes Bay and Gisbourne, you'll find ripe full, oily styles of Pinot Gris
- On the South Island, the volume is large in Marlborough where the wines have spicy and structure but they shine when from North Canterbury.
- Good producers include: Seresin, Greywacke, Jules Taylor
The United States
- California grows a lot of Pinot Grigio but mostly for use in jug wine or cheap "California" appellate wine. Most grows in the hot Central Valley. it is not a focus for most producers
- Oregon is the real hotspot in the US for Pinot Gris. the area has long, moderate summer days with cooling breezes. It has a longer fall which allows Pinot Gris the space it needs to develop flavor. These wines taste like fresh cut apple, pear, underripe melon, and can be medium bodied, occasionally with oak notes
Bigger Producers include: King Estate (the largest Pinot Gris producer), A to Z, Erath, Adelsheim, Ponzi, and Rainstorm
Canada -- British Columbia
- 21.2% of the white wine crop in 2018, makes Pinot Gris the Queen of the whites in BC. I recall it being very serviceable to good
Australia
- Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris -- the names and styles are used at will is one of the hottest, fastest growing wines
- There are no style rules or naming conventions. The wines vary from acidic and light (Italian style) to bold and full (Alsace style). Producers often call full styles Pinot Grigio and light styles Pinot Gris. There is no convention.
- We mention Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy of T'Gallant Wines in the Mornington Peninsula of Victoria. Kathleen Quealy was named the ‘Queen of Pinot Grigio’ back then and she still makes wine under her own label today
It's a lot to take in! Who would have thought that something I call alcoholic lemon water (in it's Grigio incarnation) would be so complex!
___________________________________________________________
Thanks to our sponsors:
Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal and for a limited time get $20 off your first order of $50 or more!
Wine Access is a web site that has exclusive wines that overdeliver for the price (of which they have a range).
- They offer top quality wines by selecting diverse, interesting, quality bottles you may not have access to at local shops.
- Wine Access provides extensive tasting notes, stories about the wine and a really cool bottle hanger with pairings, flavor profile, and serving temps.
- Wines are warehoused in perfect conditions and shipped in temperature safe packs. Satisfaction is guaranteed!
Check it out today! www.wineaccess.com/normal
Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today:
https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople