It was the early 1960s. On the shelves of wine shops and on restaurant wine lists, a white wine made from a grape variety that had not been taken too seriously until then began to appear, first timidly, then with increasing confidence. The credit goes to Santa Margherita, and that wine was Pinot Grigio. The success was incredible and lasted for decades, so much so that we could consider that wine one of the first truly structured wine "trends" in our country. Sixty years later, we must recognize this winery, now a giant with its companies in various regions of Italy, for having initiated a renewal in the way of making and proposing wine. But above all, it is a fact that, following that success, in Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Alto Adige, there was a rush to plant new pinot grigio vineyards.
Pinot grigio is a genetic mutation of pinot noir and therefore originates from Burgundy. Currently, one of the most prestigious areas for the cultivation of this grape variety is Alsace, where it produces wines of very high quality, as well as in some areas of Germany, especially along the banks of the Moselle River. Its peculiar characteristic lies precisely in its color: the berries are a grayish color, unique among the grape varieties we know used to make wine. It is often vinified as a white wine, but if left in contact with the skins, it produces wines with a characteristic coppery color.
On paper, the grape would not have the credentials of its more prestigious rival, pinot bianco, nor particular characteristics of typicity. But it has undoubtedly imposed a different drinking style on the general public. Those fruity and aromatic whites, graceful but not lacking in structure, were born in its wake. In Collio and Colli Orientali del Friuli, it expresses itself with great richness, in Alto Adige, its higher acidity also makes it long-lived, but generally, at present, very interesting results are obtained in various areas of Italy, such as Oltrepò Pavese, where the grape has also found fertile ground for cultivation.
The best value Pinot Grigio wines
The following is the list of the best Pinot Grigio wines that we have reviewed in the Berebene 2024 guide and that you will find on the shelves of wine with the best value for money.
Friuli Venezia Giulia
It is difficult to find a Pinot Grigio with as much character as the 2022 vintage from Branko. On the nose, it alternates intriguing citrusy hints of mandarin and bergamot with more subdued notes of yellow peach, apricot, and tropical fruit. The palate is fresh and juicy, supported by fragrant mineral undertones and pleasant balsamic hints. Igor Erzetic deserves credit for transforming a small family-run business into a pearl of regional winemaking.
Particularly intense and multifaceted is the Pinot Grigio from Isidoro Polencic, with an elegant, creamy, and progressive mouthfeel. Isidoro Polencic, a great master of the vineyard and the cellar, founded the winery in 1968, leading it for many years to a respected dimension. The continuity is now entrusted to his three children, Elisabetta, Michele, and Alex, who have shown truly rare skills in business management. Most of the vineyards surround the Plessiva cellar, while others are located in neighboring areas: Ruttars, Novali, Mossa, and Castelletto. This allows them to offer a complete overview of the varieties of Collio.
In the Pinot Grigio Ramato Gossip 2022, the coppery hue anticipates notes of small red fruits, almond, and withered rose. The palate is bold and well-balanced, with a rich and contrasting finish. It is a real wildcard for food pairing. Massimo di Lenardo inherited from his predecessors a love for the land, added innate entrepreneurial skills, and is now passing on experiences to his son Vittorio. With his management, the family business has become one of the most accredited in the regional wine landscape. The vineyards extend across the sunny Friulian plain, divided into different zones with different subsoils and microclimates. The wines often have original names, always characterized by exemplary simplicity and linearity, rich in nuances and particularly interesting organoleptic characteristics.
The "ramato" version of the 2022 Pinot Grigio from Sirch smells of pear and medlar, displaying mineral hints on a smooth and highly pleasant palate. Fragrant, graceful, and respectful of varietal characteristics, Luca Sirch's wines have been proposed for several years now, focusing precisely on pinot grigio and its success in international markets. Already in 2002, Luca Sirch embarked on a path focused on producing classic single-variety wines, beyond any fashion or trend. The substantial expansion process initiated by the Sirch family a few years ago has materialized with the acquisition of new vineyard areas.
The 2022 Pinot Grigio from Le Vigne di Zamò presents itself with an intense coppery color, almost rosé. The bouquet opens with intense floral notes, enriched by hints of tropical fruits characteristic of Pinot Grigio and spicy nuances of vanilla. During aging, a pleasant aroma of bread and yeast develops. On the palate, it is warm, full-bodied, and glyceric, with a remarkably savory, slightly tannic, and persistent finish.
With the Monviert brand, elegant wines are proposed, the pride of a company that, in over seventy years of history, has written many pages of regional winemaking and has now been totally renewed, making room for the fresh energy of the new generation. Fragrant with pear and peach, the Pinot Grigio is smooth, linear, and easy-drinking.
In ancient Italian, "stocco" meant "sword." And it is indeed a sword that is the emblem of the Stocco family, which has embodied its values for over a century: strength, rigor, and respect for the land. With the spirit of the past, it is now up to Andrea, Daniela, and Paola, the fourth generation, to keep the family brand high. The Pinot Grigio Ramato smells of withered rose and grapefruit, with a smooth palate, fresh and well-balanced finish.
The Scolaris winery has reached its hundredth year of activity. In its historical journey, the authenticity of the wines has always been its strength. The Pinot Grigio Blush alternates scents of apple and pear with sweeter sensations of wild strawberries. On the palate, it is delicate, with hints of toasted almond that we find in the fresh and contrasting finish.
Valle d'Aosta
The Pinot Grigio Trii Rundin is very good, intense with notes of pear and light dried flowers, characterized by personality and structure, with a long and structured palate. Henri Anselmet is the latest generation of a family of winemakers who have given a lot to Valle d'Aosta. It has not been many years since he decided to start his own company, producing wines that are an expression of a territory that wrests land from the mountain to plant vines.
Veneto
Pinot Grigio, a wine that represents Italy worldwide, finds one of its places of choice in the Adige Valley, a territory where the warmth of summer days is followed by nights cooled by breezes descending along the river. Albino Armani is an excellent interpreter of it, as evidenced by the tasting of his Corvara 2022, a glass with intense suggestions of yellow fruit and flowers that develop into a savory, tense, and spirited palate.
Trentino
The Pinot Grigio Ramato Graminè 2021 is one of the first to appear in Trentino with these nuances. The scent is satisfyingly ripe fruit, a light smoky hint, very varietal with excellent structure and a persistence that makes it a powerful ramato. Marco Manica and his wife Rosanna are passionate winemakers. In their estates near Rovereto, they cultivate very widespread varieties, but they also operate with equally identifying micro-vinifications.
Oltrepò Pavese
It is incredible how the Ramé manages to blend sunny sensations of apricot and helichrysum with a fresh citrusy hint; the same pattern on the palate: a lot of flavor in the center but a finale that fades smoothly and briskly. In 2019, the Cordero family from Castiglione Falletto took over the historic and splendid Podere San Giorgio from the old management and is establishing itself in a few years as a new point of reference in the Oltrepò Pavese viticulture sector.
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