Let’s talk about Pinot Grigio

The geographic origin of this grape is not very clear, however, its ampelographic origin is that of a genetic mutation of Pinot Noir. It is now considered to be an Italian variety thanks to the global success of Pinot Grigio Santa Margherita.

The varietal Pinot Grigio most likely originated in Burgundy and is the result of a genetic mutation of Pinot Noir. It later spread to Alsace and in parts of southwest Germany, where it was named Ruländer, and where it was primarily fermented off the skins. Pinot Grigio, in fact, is a red grape or, better, “ramata” (cooper-colored) and the term “grigio” (gray) derives from the French gris, which can also mean “pink”, in the sense that it is neither white nor black (neither red nor white). Initially, the grape produced wines with a bold orange color, copper-like, and it was only later, with the evolution of winemaking technology, that it became a grape for making white wine.

Another theory is linked to the celebrated legend that maintains that towards 1565, Baron Lazare de Schwendi, who served with the Austrian army in the war against the Turks, brought back with him to Alsace some vine shoots from the city of Tokay, in Hungary. He owned land in Baden and in Alsace, and is said to have ordered the shoots to be multiplied in Kientzheim (where his castle still exists, now owned by the Confrérie Saint Etienne). At the time, in fact, winemaking regions in Europe sought to produce wines similar to the much-prized Hungarian Tokay, made with the Furmint varietal. However, according to various ampelographic studies, it would appear that the varietal brought by Lazare de Schwendi was not the Hungarian one. With the name Grauer Tokayer, it was substituted with Pinot Grigio from Burgundy and celebrated for its quality and capacity to produce very concentrated wines.

Aside from its ampelographic aspects and flavor, Pinot Grigio drew the world’s attention because of its tormented history in regard to the various names it was given. It was called Grauer Tokayer before 1870 and over the centuries it was referred to by the names Tokay grigio, Tokay d’Alsazia, Tokay Pinot Grigio and finally, as of April 1, 2007, Pinot Grigio.

Pinot Grigio arrived in Italy after the phylloxera blight and primarily to the northeastern regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, some areas of eastern Veneto, in Trentino and Alto Adige: There is also some Pinot Grigio in Oltrepò Pavese, where it is primarily used to make sparkling wine, and in Val d’Aosta, where it is the base varietal for Malvoisie de Nus. It is also found in Tuscan, in the DOC appellation of Pomino, where it is blended with other varieties to make Pomino bianco.

But the great expansion of Pinot Grigio in Italy began at a precise time, the 1960 harvest, when Santa Margherita, the famous Veneto winery in Portogruaro owned by the Marzotto group, produced a new wine that had a great international success. Since then, and based on that phenomenon, Pinot Grigio has become an Italian varietal in the collective international imagination. And from then on began a production expansion around the world, to the extent that it is hard to find any winemaking area in the New World that does not cultivate a little Pinot Grigio. From California to South Africa, from New Zealand to Australia, dozens of estates are producing Pinot Grigio. The same thing occurred in Italy and in the northeast Pinot Grigio has become one of the most important grapes in terms of the quantity of production and it is currently a wine that has consistent sales success the world over.

It is not easy to explain why this is. For sure there are many reasons, starting with its odd yet easy to remember name, along with its very pleasing organoleptic properties, it not being too complex, typical of fragrant and easy to drink white wines, with the added benefit of having a retail price that is not excessive. All these factors have allowed Pinot Grigio to become popular and appreciated by many consumers around the world.