Pinot Grigio vs Pinot Gris

What’s the difference and is one better than the other?

Together, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris have shot up the charts when it comes to popular white wines in Australia. From the first plantings in the 1990s on the Mornington Peninsula, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are giving more established varietals like Semillon a run for their money.

But what many people don’t know is that they are actually the same grape, just representing different wine making styles. Both names reflect the greyish colour of the grapes with ‘grigio’ meaning ‘grey’ in Italian and ‘gris’ having the same meaning in French. What’s more, the same grape goes by other names too. For example, it’s called Granburgunder in Germany, Malvoisie in Switzerland and Szurkebarát in Hungary. To complicate matters further, the grapes can also be used to make Rosé wines by giving the wine skin contact.

So let’s take a look at the two Pinot G wine styles and what it means for Australian wine drinkers.

Pinot Grigio

In Australia, Pinot Grigio tends to be the more popular of the two wine styles. Originating in the northern Italian wine regions of the Veneto and Fruili, Pinot Grigio is a crisp and refreshing wine style that tends towards high acidity and a dry finish.

As its Italian heritage suggests, Pinot Grigio is popular for pairing with casual afternoon drinks over an antipasto platter – some say it’s the perfect aperitif wine. It’s frequently an uncomplicated wine, perfect for summer barbeques and doesn’t compete with food for attention.

Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris on the other hand originated in Alsace, in northern France. As a wine style, it tends to have a higher alcohol level than Pinot Grigio, with a riper and richer mouthfeel. Pinot Gris ranges from bone dry to medium sweet and can feature spicy flavours like cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as notes of apple and pear.

With more complexity, Pinot Gris can often stand up to rich dishes like creamy chicken and pork rilettes. The spicy notes in Pinot Gris also means it can be a great partner to Asian cuisine.

So, what’s in a name?

In Australia, there are no hard and fast rules for which name local winemakers can use for their Pinot G wines. But typically, the name will reflect the style of the country the
winemaker is aiming for.
It’s a grape that thrives in cool climate wine regions, like Mornington Peninsula (Pinot Grigio’s spiritual home in Australia), Tasmania, Adelaide Hills, Orange, King Valley and the Great Southern area.

Same, same but different

Whichever style you prefer, excellent examples of both Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are easy to find locally. Australian winemakers have embraced this grape and produce excellent wines at great value, suitable both for immediate drinking and with cellaring potential for patient wine lovers.

Both wines can be versatile partners with food, adapting to a variety of cuisines. Why not experiment with a few different styles from different Australian producers and find your new favourite?