Pinot Grigio is one of the most popular white wines in the world, second only to Chardonnay. It is also grown and sold under the moniker Pinot Gris, which is actually more appropriate given the history of the grape. According to the research done at UC Davis, Pinot Grigio is actually a mutant of Pinot Noir and began in Burgundy rather than in Italy where it reached its peak popularity.
In addition to northern Italy, Pinot Grigio is grown virtually everywhere. If it was a traveler, its passport would have stamps from virtually every country in Europe, the United States, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The grape grows easily and is not nearly as fussy as its fellow popular Italian export, Arneis. It also takes on the characteristics of the soil conditions quickly. Depending on where the grape is grown the wine will range in color from virtually white to a copper or pinkish hue. The grapes themselves hardly fit the name of “grey” ideally either but range from golden to pink to nearly black.
All of this range within the varietal itself means that there is a Pinot Grigio to suit the palette of almost all wine drinkers. The very lightest Pinot Grigios will be most aptly suited as sipping wines. This is especially true in the summer, which sees a huge spike in Pinot Grigio sales. It is a perfect wine to sip on a hot summer night.
When it comes to food pairings Pinot Grigio is more flexible than one might first assume. In addition to being a great sipping wine it pairs well with an extensive variety of food. As you would expect with a wine that is well adapted to summer, fruits and vegetables work marvelously with Pinot Grigio. The exception is any fruit that has a high acid content, but all of the typical in-season fruits and vegetables that are available in summer are perfect except for tomatoes.
When it comes to seafood, nearly everything will work with Pinot Grigio, even the high oil content fish like tuna and salmon which normally work best with Rosés and lighter rid wines will pair well with the stronger Pinot Grigios because of the acid content of the wine.
Chicken and lighter pork dishes are also great candidates for entrée choices with Pinot Grigio. If the sauces for the dishes are either light or cream based the flavor combinations will be spectacular. This is especially true for dishes that contain both of the meats, such as a chicken saltimbocca or a pasta with a cream sauce using chicken and pancetta.
Pizza and soft mellow cheeses that are not aged also work wonderfully. A repetition of the caveat about the tomato combination though. Stick with white pizzas such as a prosciutto and mushroom or brie and pancetta. The same qualities that make Pinot Grigio a great white wine for pizza and cheese make it ideal with antipasto. A family style platter of prosciutto, salami, melon and Italian cheeses has no better counterpart.
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