Pinot Grigio Primer
Written By: Brian Freedman on Thu, Jul 5th 2007
Bella Sera Is Just The Beginning
The pinot grigio days of summer are upon us. This is, of course, an annual occurrence, as unavoidable as high temps, unremitting humidity, and once-beefy guys strutting down the street in muscle shirts, showing off their suddenly soft bi's and tri's in a sad and futile effort to recapture their glory days.
Unfortunately, the pinot grigio most people drink is little more than vapid, mass-produced plonk. It tends to be aggressively fruity, one-dimensional, and possessed of about as much personality as your high school math teacher. And because labels like Ecco Domani, Voga, and Bella Sera have flooded the market with their juice, popular perception of this could-be-interesting grape variety is shaped by the flavor profiles of these (and other) big brands.
And while I'm the last person to tell anyone that they should not drink what they enjoy, I also don't like to sit by and passively watch people gulp down glass after boring glass of the same-often overpriced, often carelessly produced—stuff.
As is the case with Yellow Tail Shiraz, for example, you can get a whole lot more flavor for a whole lot less money if you just allow yourself to take a brief trip outside your vinous comfort zone and taste a few Pinot Grigios whose names you might not be familiar with.
Alois Lageder, for example, produces a fabulous Pinot Grigio. Other Italian producers to look for include Kris, Santi, and Terlano. These wines could not be more different from the overpriced, vaguely alcoholic grape-water that passes for real Pinot Grigio in the popular imagination—they're richer, often perfumed, and possessed of far more nuance than their mass-marketed cousins could ever dream of.
Of course, Pinot Grigio is not just produced in Italy. And depending upon where it's from, it may go by other names, too: Pinot Gris, Grauburgunder, and Malvoisie are the most likely ones you'll see, though most producers limit their use of all but Pinots Grigio and Gris. Americans, after all, tend not to buy wines whose grape-names they're unfamiliar with.
The real stuff may cost a bit more, of course, but that's just a product of all the time and effort that has gone into growing the grapes and producing the wine. And anyway, your extra outlay of cash will be rewarded by a wine of real character and interest. The best of them are often far more aromatic than the mass-produced versions, and pair particularly well with food. Antipasto, seafood, fried foods like chicken, and even many preparations of vegetables go well with this versatile wine.
Of course, some people just prefer to enjoy it on its own, and the fact that it is not too heavy, too oaky, too buttery, too acidic, or, really, too overwhelming in general, makes it a delicious alternative to a pre-meal cocktail. And unlike a mixed drink, a glass of Pinot Grigio won't exhaust your palate. As a result, you'll still be able to taste the food that follows.
Just make sure you open a bottle of the good stuff—it's a heck of a lot more interesting, and will make your food taste a whole lot better, that if you'd just popped the cork on a lesser one. And at the still-reasonable prices for a good bottle of Pinot Grigio, you can afford to taste some truly remarkable examples.
What a nice way to spend the summer.
