How to pour it
a pinot grigio in
Place the bottle in the refrigerator for about three hours, so the wine reaches 8 to 10 degrees. Colder than eight degrees and you will barely taste the fruit; warmer than ten and the fresh acidity fades. Take the bottle out only just before serving.
Cut all the way around the capsule below the ridge on the neck and wipe the rim of the bottle clean. Place the spiral in the center of the cork and twist it straight down until just before the end, then pull the cork out in one smooth motion.
Decanting is not necessary here. Pinot grigio is drunk young and fresh and gains little from extra air. Instead, place the bottle in a cooler with water and ice beside the table, so it stays at the right temperature for as long as the bottle is open.
Fill the glass to about one-third and no further. This leaves room above the wine for the aroma, and because there is little in the glass, the last sip is still just as cool as the first. It is better to top up with a small amount more often.
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The story
Pinot grigio and pinot gris are the same grape, a colour mutation within the pinot family with a blue-grey to pink skin. Grigio is the Italian word for grey and gris the French one. What differs is the way it is made. In Italy, the grape is processed cool and quickly, with as little contact as possible between the juice and the skins, producing a pale, dry wine that relies on its freshness. In Alsace, the approach is the opposite, and pinot gris is much fuller, rounder and sometimes distinctly sweet. So the name on the label says less than the region behind it.
The right glass
Pinot grigio calls for a narrower glass than a full-bodied white wine. A bowl of around 30 to 40 centilitres keeps the wine cooler for longer because less of its surface is exposed to the air, and concentrates the citrus and apple notes instead of letting them disperse. A wide Burgundy bowl does the opposite here and makes the wine taste flat. Compare the sizes in the white wine glasses; if the bottle stays on the table, a wine cooler helps at least as much as the glass.
Schott Zwiesel Ivento White Wine Glass 35 cl (6 pieces)
Schott Zwiesel Banquet White Wine Glass 30 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 91,20.
The right tools
For a pinot grigio, besides the glass, you mainly need a corkscrew and a wine cooler. The bar tools below only come in handy once you turn the wine into a spritz: a bar spoon for stirring and a zester for the citrus twist. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 90,40.
What do you gift alongside it?
Pinot grigio is rarely served on its own. These are the wines that come alongside or after it in the same meal, from a glass of prosecco beforehand to a moscato with dessert. On each drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The Italian style is not the only one. If you let the gray-blue skins macerate with the juice, color infuses the wine, resulting in a ramato: copper-colored to salmon-pink, with more grip on the palate. In Alsace, the same grape is called pinot gris and is fuller-bodied, with yellow stone fruit and sometimes residual sweetness. In Germany, it appears on the label as Grauburgunder, usually dry, or as Ruländer, usually somewhat sweeter. Want to read more? Browse all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Serve at 8 to 10 degrees and keep the bottle in a cooler in between, because a narrow glass helps, but a warm bottle does not. Pinot grigio goes well with light, salty foods: baked or fried fish, shellfish, risotto with asparagus, young cheese, or a plate of antipasti. With heavily spiced food or a rich sauce, it disappears because the wine has little weight.
Good to know
Pinot grigio or pinot gris: what is the difference?
The grape is the same. The difference lies in the region and the winemaking method. Italian pinot grigio is harvested early and processed at cool temperatures, making it pale, dry, and light. Alsatian pinot gris is harvested riper and is much fuller-bodied, with yellow stone fruit, and can be off-dry or sweet. So if a bottle from Alsace says pinot gris, do not expect the same fresh wine.
Why ramato is copper-colored
The grape skin ranges from gray-blue to pink, not green. If the juice is separated from the skins immediately, the wine remains pale. If you leave the juice and skins together for a while, that color infuses the wine, resulting in a copper-colored to salmon-pink wine. In Friuli, this style is called ramato, after the Italian word for copper. It tastes different too: slightly more grip and a somewhat more astringent finish.
Veneto, Friuli and Alto Adige
These are the three regions in northeastern Italy where most pinot grigio comes from. Veneto produces the largest volume and the most neutral, light style. Friuli is known for wines with a little more body and the ramato tradition. Alto Adige is the highest and coolest, and the wine there is often more taut and aromatic. The region is stated on the label.
How much alcohol it contains
Pinot grigio contains roughly 11.5 to 13 percent alcohol. The exact percentage is stated on the label. Alcohol-free varieties contain less than 0.5 percent and indicate this on the bottle.
How long you can keep it
Pinot grigio is made to be drunk young. Most bottles are at their best within a year or two of the harvest; leaving them longer rarely adds anything, because the freshness is what fades. Once opened, a bottle can be kept tasting good for another two to three days with a stopper in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
Is pinot grigio the same as pinot gris?
It is the same grape, with an Italian and a French name. The wine is different, though. Italian pinot grigio is pale, dry and light, with citrus and green apple. Alsatian pinot gris is much fuller, rounder and sometimes semi-sweet to sweet. The name on the label therefore mainly reveals where the bottle comes from.
At what temperature do you serve pinot grigio?
Between 8 and 10 degrees. You can achieve that by chilling it in the refrigerator for about three hours. Below eight degrees, the fruit is muted and you taste little else; above ten degrees, the wine loses its fresh acidity. Keep the bottle in a cooler in between, so the last glass stays just as cool as the first.
Which glass do you use for pinot grigio?
A narrow white wine glass of about 30 to 40 centilitres. The smaller bowl keeps the wine cool and concentrates the citrus and apple notes. A wide Burgundy bowl is too spacious here: the wine warms up faster and the aroma disperses. Hold the glass by the stem, not the bowl.
What do you eat with pinot grigio?
Light, salty dishes. Baked or fried fish, shellfish, carpaccio, risotto with asparagus, young cheese and antipasti. The wine has little weight, so it loses out to heavily spiced dishes or a rich cream sauce.
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