For years, reaching for a glass of premium Pinot Grigio was as laughable as the notion of heading out for a fancy dinner at Olive Garden. Even the producers seemed to be in on the joke.
The rampant success of grocery store Pinot Grigio – AKA cougar juice – in the 1980s, '90s and early into the aughts doomed its reputation in certain circles, with the vast majority of serious wine lovers dismissing it as unsophisticated juicy-juice for low-brow Americans who, poor things, didn't know any better.
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But that's changing, especially as sales of white wine overall surge amid interest in lighter, lower-alcohol, less mainstream varieties rise.
The numbers
Sales of premium Pinot Grigio revved up during the pandemic, with sales of Pinot Grigio rising close to 20 percent, according to Wine Intelligence, whereas sales of Chardonnay, Moscato and Riesling went down.
On Drizly, white wine now accounts for 29 percent of total wine sales, up from 27 percent year-over-year. The top 20 hit list is dominated by the usual suspects – Josh Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, La Marca Prosecco, Meiomi Pinot Noir – but Cavit Pinot Grigio and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio also made an appearance, and Friuli's Livio Felluga led year-over-year growth last month, with their Pinot Grigio selling more the most.
This rise in sales follows a concerted effort on the part of prominent producers and importers, who worked to elevate the reputation of Pinot Grigio after the popularity of its quantity-over-quality focused brethren cursed it.
"Starting five to 10 years ago, quality Pinot Grigio producers began focusing more attention on differentiating their wines from the more prevalent high-volume Pinot Grigios," says Scott Ades, co-owner and president of direct import shop Dalla Terra Winery Direct. "These efforts are starting to reshape the perception of Pinot Grigio, and fostering a new appreciation for the varietal’s character and potential for quality by promoting distinctive wines from legacy producers like Alois Lageder, Russiz Superiore and Marco Felluga."
Pinot Grigio vs. Pinot Gris
In theory, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are identical and made from the same grape. But in reality, they're different wines, from different places, with different flavors and textures.
Top notch Pinot Grigio is most associated with Friuli or Alto Adige in Italy, while the best Pinot Gris is rooted in Alsace, France. The best Italian Pinot Grigios are typically light, refreshing and crisp, with orchard fruit and light floral aromas and flavors. The best Pinot Gris are richer and more opulent, with spice.
Séverine Schlumberger, for one, sees them as completely different.
"For me, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are as different as an apricot and a peach," Schlumberger, co-owner of Domaines Schlumberger in Alsace says. "The Pinot Gris from Alsace comes from Pinot Beurot in Burgundy, and is richer and more complex than Pinot Grigio. In my opinion, they can't be marketed as identical without disappointing the consumer. If I order a Pinot Grigio, I don't want a Pinot Gris – and vice versa."
Marketing Pinot Gris as a luxury product is, arguably, easier, says Schlumberger. The Alsace-based Domaine Weinbach's winemaker Eddy Leiber-Faller, agrees.
"They are seen as different products on most consumer markets," says Leiber-Faller. "Pinot Grigio is perceived as lighter and easy drinking, while Pinot Gris is usually seen as bolder, 'food-needing' wine. This makes Pinot Gris probably better positioned to be marketed as premium."
But it has been an uphill battle.
"Pinot Gris has been a tough sell due to the prevalence of mass-produced, diluted Pinot Grigio, which contaminated the image of Pinot Gris in general," Leiber-Faller notes. "Those prejudices can take decades to overcome but, thankfully, we see that happening."
Ideal conditions for Pinot G
The perfect ingredients for great Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris can only be found in soil, sun and elevation.
The Friuli Colli Orientali DOC, where Terlato Vineyards proprietor Luca Sirch sources his grapes, is "particularly suited for Pinot Grigio," he says. "The reasons are many: the temperature variations between day and night; soils composed by deposits of Eocene origin in the form of alternating layers of marls and sandstone; the geographical location between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea."
While Florian Brigl, winemaker at Alto Adige’s Tenuta Kornell argues that Pinot Grigio thrives in a variety of terroirs, and is suitable for different vinifications – including large wooden barrels, barriques and steel barrels – the Alpine conditions of Alto Adige are particularly suitable for delivering “"freshness and juiciness".
"Our cool nights and warm days are ideal for the ripening process, endowing our Pinot Grigio with freshness, elegance and minerality," Brigl insists. "Also, we work on elevations of 250 and 500 meters above sea level, which makes the variety more interesting."
Peter Zemmer, of the eponymously named Alto Adige winery, says that producers there have worked hard in recent years to leverage the auspicious terroir.
"We have developed innovative clones such as SMA505, which has increased our quality," says Zemmer. "We are also selecting sites at higher altitudes in recent years."
That refinement, he notes, has allowed him to grow the Pinot Grigio Riserva Giatl line from 4000 bottles in 2014 to 24,000 bottles now.
Leiber-Faller, meanwhile, says that "marl and limestone soils, with our climate" are responsible for the "structure and freshness of our Pinot Gris. Like all of its siblings from the Pinot family, Pinot Gris benefits from a bit of oak and oxygen intake, so all of our Pinot Gris are fermented in either neutral oak foudre or smaller barrels, with a limited share of new oak."
Italy’s Pinot Grigio renaissance
A focus on better sites and plant material has made for better Pinot Grigio, as have farming and cellaring practices.
"We now harvest plot by plot, to ensure grapes are perfectly ripe," Sirch says. "We also choose to use selected yeasts to enhance the uniqueness of different positions of the Pinot Grigio vineyard, and make a blend of eight vineyards after vinifying them separately. This allows us to have complexity, fullness, freshness, minerality and aromaticity that we want in our Pinot Grigio."
The focus, Kim Beto, vice president of fine wine and spirits business development at Terlato Wines, says, has led to a "Pinot Grigio renaissance in high end restaurants", with more and more of his Pinot Grigio portfolio landing at key accounts. Terlato's Pinot Grigio offerings overall grew significantly year-over-year.
Depletions increased by 24 percent, and account purchasing went up 20 percent. Growth in volume is most notable in Florida, North Carolina, Southern California and Texas, while on-premise distribution growth by accounts is most significant for Terlato in Texas, Arizona, North Carolina and Florida.
"I often do blind tastings with Master Sommelier candidates who mistake ours for a Chablis or even a Premier Cru Chablis," Beto says, explaining that the blinds are often the only persuasion previously uninterested buyers need to persuade them of Pinot Grigio's merits.
Oregon's Pinot Gris revival
Pinot Gris was first planted in Alsace in the 1500s so, as Schlumberger says, they have a lot of experience cultivating it; but they never experienced anything like the explosive growth that Italian Pinot Grigio saw, instead remaining relatively steady in their focus on quality over quantity.
Oregon, meanwhile, set off on a roller-coaster ride with Pinot Gris when Eyrie Vineyards founder David Lett planted it in the 1960s. Initially, the variety struggled to find the audience that Pinot Noir quickly delivered.
With a focus on careful farming and cellaring though, plantings are on the rise (up 4 percent year over year, according to the Oregon Vineyard and Winery Report), with average prices up to $1800 per ton in 2022, from $1663 in 2021. (Still much lower than Chardonnay though, which averages $2861 per ton).
Brian O'Donnell, founder of Belle Pente Vineyard & Winery, says growers are working to raise Pinot Gris' rep.
"The original Pinot Gris made in Oregon by Eyrie was very Alsace-influenced stylistically, but many producers dumbed it down," O'Donnell says. "Over the years it migrated toward a mass-market Pinot Grigio style."
He has hope though.
"There seems to be a renewal of interest in Ramato, rosé and orange variations, which will hopefully breathe new life into the varietal and encourage other producers to up their game," he says.
Growing conditions are important too: O'Donnell focuses on marine sedimentary soils, which impart a saline, savory quality and emphasize apple and pear flavors and aromas. They pick late, and do hybrid vinifications in foudre and stainless steel, long cool fermentations with a full year on the lees, and partial malo.
At King Estate, where they grow 24 varieties, the production is focused on Pinot Gris. Last year, 115,000 cases of King Estate Pinot Gris were produced. Ed King, co-founder and CEO, is bullish on the grape, despite detractors.
"I have seen the 'death' of Pinot Gris at least twice in Oregon," he says. "I have seen the coming of Chardonnay at least three times. And yet, by far, Pinot Gris is the most successful white wine from Oregon."
King believes Pinot Gris will define Oregon's future.
"It is more durable in the field than Pinot Noir, and is capable of withstanding conditions ranging from drought to harvest rain, while yielding more tons per acre. It can age easily for a decade because of the acidity."
Plantings of Pinot Grigio are also on the rise in certain regions of Italy.
"Sirch Winery cultivates 360 acres of vineyards, with 25 percent exclusively devoted to Pinot Grigio," says Bill Terlato, CEO of Terlato Wine Group and Terlato Wines. "We have growing demand and plan to expand our vineyards to more than 400 acres, 120 of which will be devoted to Pinot Grigio in the next year."
For now, the joke's on the haters. The most expensive Pinot Grigio on the market is $230; the second-priciest is $44; Pinot Gris is a little more dear. The loftiest price is now more than $700, and the second highest is around $250. But that's chump change compared to the luxury wine market overall, where the costliest bottles go for $161,324, and $141,738.
Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris offer Olive Garden prices, with Da Vittorio quality and distinction. Cheers to the rise of a great white, on sale – for now.
