Wine Terroirs
By Francesco Saverio Russo photographs: courtesy of the estates, posted on 23 September 2024
Pinot Grigio, one of the world's most popular grape varieties, has found an ideal home in Italy and become a symbol of the country's winemaking excellence. Originating in Burgundy, France, the variety crossed the Alps into Italy in the 19th century, where it has since thrived in several regions, developing unique characteristics that set it apart from its French and New World counterparts.
Pinot Grigio, also known as Pinot Gris in France, owes its name to the particular coloring of its grapes, which varies from a bluish grey to a coppery pink. In Italy, it thrives in the north-east of the country in the regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto, but it is also increasingly grown in other regions of Central and Southern Italy. Italian Pinot Grigio is known for its freshness and lightness, with an aromatic bouquet that can include notes of green apple, pear, citrus, and sometimes white flowers. Its structure varies depending on its production location, with wines from Trentino-Alto Adige showing higher acidity and those from Veneto being softer and rounder. In terms of flavour profile, Pinot Grigio is generally dry, with a clean and refreshing finish.
Drilling down deeper, the variety delivers many nuances depending on its production area. In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Pinot Grigio grapes produce complex, refined wines. Many producers in this area experiment with advanced winemaking techniques such as skin-contact maceration, which gives the wines greater body and depth. In Trentino-Alto Adige, the Alpine climate, with its temperature variations, allows the grapes to develop intense aromas and good structure, producing wines with lively acidity and marked minerality. In Veneto, one of the largest Italian Pinot Grigio production areas, the grapes produce fresher, more versatile wines.
In recent years, Italy has seen growing interest in sustainable and organic viticulture. Many Pinot Grigio producers are adopting environmentally-friendly vineyard management techniques and reducing the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers. In addition, winemakers are experimenting with new approaches such as the use of indigenous yeasts and ageing in terracotta amphorae to enhance site-expressiveness. Italian Pinot Grigio epitomises the perfect blend of tradition and innovation. Its ability to reflect the unique characteristics of the different production regions, combined with a strong focus on sustainable and innovative techniques, make it one of the most appreciated white wines both in Italy and around the world.
We have selected a number of wineries that have taken different approaches to the variety in different areas.
For 20 years, Dacastello has been showcasing the best of Italian production by offering a wide range of wines with strong local roots. The company's selection includes an assortment spanning more than one hundred types of wine that represent the best combination of local character and winemaking value. Within this vast assortment, Pinot Grigio undoubtedly represents one of the most attractive wines for both the domestic and international markets. Although Pinot Grigio is a very common European grape variety, it takes on quite specific characteristics depending on the areas where it is grown. It responds to both climate and vineyard location, generally favouring low-lying land with fertile soils. Vineyard management must be supported by adequate fertilisation and careful annual pruning.
With its professional staff, Dacastello Vini has been enhancing the Italian wine scene for twenty years.
Pinot Grigio Vicenza DOC has a straw-yellow colour with golden hues. The nose is delicate and pleasant while the palate is dry, harmonious and velvety. The success of Pinot Grigio undoubtedly derives from its international fame. It is one of the best-known varieties and has become a go-to grape for the general public. In addition, the aromatic qualities of Pinot Grigio have the ability to win a wide variety of palates. It is a simple, accessible, fresh and balanced wine and this versatility allows it to work well as a summer aperitif or to accompany a meal at any time of year.
For twenty years, Dacastello Vini has been enhancing the Italian wine scene by offering a wide range of wines deeply rooted in terroir.
At Dacastello Vini, Pinot Grigio is supported with adequate fertilisation and consistent, careful pruning.
Pinot Grigio is one of the most widely known and appreciated grape varieties globally for still wines, renowned for its versatility. It is grown in Sicily by The Wine People where it is used to produce wines characterised by freshness, balanced acidity and citrus notes, making them very popular with consumers. Pinot Grigio was introduced to Sicily about 20 years ago and has found a particularly interesting climate on the island. The warm and sunny weather, together with the type of soil, has allowed the variety to develop a different style than the versions produced in the northern regions of Italy. In Sicily, Pinot Grigio stands out for its unique intensity and structure, accompanied by citrus notes and lively freshness. The early harvesting of the grapes, combined with non-invasive winemaking techniques, preserves the fresh aromas and palatability.
Stefano Girelli and Peter Kosten, two entrepreneurs with more than 30 years' experience in the world of wine, joined forces at Casa Girelli to offer quality wines.
In the Purato Catarratto Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane PGI, the winery has combined Pinot Grigio with the indigenous Catarratto grape variety to tap into the structure of Catarratto and the freshness of Pinot Grigio and create a balanced and complex wine. The choice of harvest time is a key factor in maintaining the freshness and aromas of Pinot Grigio: harvesting early preserves the liveliness and natural acidity of the grapes. Pinot Grigio is particularly popular for its easy-drinking style and its ability to accompany a wide range of dishes such as seafood, white meats, salads and fresh cheeses. This versatility makes it a wine of choice in restaurants and wine shops around the world, even for aperitifs.
TWP offers an all-round service that revolves entirely around its customers, from product design, production and logistics to customer service.
Cielo e Terra was founded in 1908 by the Cielo family and then merged in 1999 with the winegrowers of the Colli Berici cellars, known today as the Collis Group. Pinot Grigio and its pink version, alongside Prosecco, are their two key product lines with approximately 6 million bottles produced out of a total of 35 million. The wines are sold worldwide in both mature and emerging markets – the company is a market leader in exporting Pinot Grigio to Turkey for instance. This particular Pinot Grigio is locally sourced with controlled origins – it is supplied by winegrowers operating in the area between Vicenza and Verona. With its Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, the company joined the winetowater.org project supporting clean and healthy water projects during crises around the world such as the war in Ukraine and the earthquake in Turkey. The project also influenced the restyling of the Pinot Grigio packaging.
Cielo Terra is located in a fertile area with a wealth of biodiversity near the sea, sheltered by the Little Dolomites.
Despite the challenging nature of the variety, this location has offered Pinot Grigio the ideal environment to show off its potential. The decision to stick to the DOC regulations of the Venezie guarantees low yields which are pivotal to the quality of the wine, compared with other regulations that push productivity to the detriment of quality. From a winemaking perspective, classic methods are used with fast, gentle pressing aimed at optimising the colour, oxygenation of the must to avoid instability in the wine further down the line and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The resultant wine displays a light-yellow colour, a young, light bouquet with floral and pear notes, medium acidity on the palate and a rounded, well-structured body. Pinot Grigio has enjoyed excellent global popularity for over 50 years: it is an easy-drinking wine with the right balance of freshness, acidity and fruitiness and has always offered very good value for money, all of which is at the root of its popularity.
Villa La Favorita, a Palladian-style Venetian villa, was purchased in 2021 to preserve and enhance the area's artistic heritage.
The vineyards of Cielo Terra's member growers stretch between the provinces of Vicenza and Verona, an unspoilt land with volcanic and basalt origins.
The ethos at Solo Roberto Vini is focused on the production of extremely aromatic, fruity wines that tantalise the nose and palate without compromising on freshness and minerality. This is promoted by the unusual local soils and climate in the Grave del Friuli. The founder, Roberto D'Innocenzo, has been in the wine business for more than 22 years and started bottling under his own brand 'Just Roberto' 10 years ago, taking advantage of his knowledge of bulk brokers and his long-established relationships with wineries. He offered them technical support to make labels and tank blends with the quality and taste required by the market. Four years ago, the company invested in a 20-hectare winery in Tauriano di Spilimbergo in the province of Pordenone, where it produces around 80-100k bottles per year, 30% of which is Pinot Grigio.
The wines by Solo Roberto epitomise the Grave del Friuli area, home to soils of alluvial origins which are predominantly stony and gravelly.
The winery is located in the northern part of the Grave del Friuli DOC area facing the Alps and close to the sea. It is located about 200 metres above sea level on a terrace formed by pebbles and stones swept downstream by the river with strong air currents. This unusual pedo-climate helps promote aromatics, minerality and freshness in the wine. Also, the soil behaves almost hydroponically – among other things, the clay beneath the pebbles favours the permeation of rainwater. The root system is no more than half a metre deep, so the combination of these soils and underground drip irrigation – which eliminates or reduces the need for treatments, whereas sprinkler irrigation weakens the leaves and makes them more vulnerable and in need of more treatments – leads to targeted stress in the plant. In non-fatty and recently ploughed soil – causing the weeds to become humus – this gives the soil and the vine greater aeration and maintains the microflora, including bacteria. The same drip system is also used in the case of targeted mineral supply. No herbicides are used but rather 'agrophomical' treatments are carried out with spray and recovery panels that only go on the leaves, not on the ground, and therefore do not enter the roots. Pruning is strictly by hand with early selection resulting in a maximum of 2 clusters per plant. All this lends the wine an impressive and highly sought-after aromatic, fruity character.
The Pinot Grigio from this area therefore tends to have very pronounced aromatic, fruity notes that can cover those of the other ultimate aromatic wines such as Traminer and Sauvignon. This is due to an extremely pleasant flavour profile with notes of ripe fruit ranging from green apple to Williams pear, with a banana edge and apricot-driven finish.
Roberto D'Innocenzo selects fine wines directly from the best vineyards in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
This winery, based in the Murgia hills at the foot of Castel del Monte in northern Puglia, does not produce Pinot Grigio directly as it is not a typical Apulian grape. Torrevento has, however, decided to produce certain wines from the variety to meet demand in the German and American markets, among others. Torrevento Winery has a strong presence in Germany in both the on-trade and large-scale distribution channels with typical native Puglian varieties, mainly Nero di Troia, Primitivo, Bombino Bianco and Bombino Nero.
The use of Pinot Grigio grapes – in response to the varietal’s booming sales when it became almost a fashionable symbol of ‘Italianness’ – was a portfolio extension aimed at German supermarkets, in contrast to the standard profile of Torrevento, and was always blended with other typical grape varieties grown in the estate's own vineyards in the northern part of Puglia such as Bombino Bianco and Trebbiano.
Dr Francesco Liantonio, chairman of the Torrevento winery, is a member of the family that founded the winery in 1913.
Growing Pinot Grigio is particularly challenging and requires special conditions and attention in both the vineyards and the cellar. The variety needs particular environmental conditions to develop, with very cold climates and compatible soils. It is particularly difficult to grow outside its native areas and this is why the winery has decided to introduce it only in specific products that reference its ideal vineyard sites. Torrevento's interpretations of the wines it markets follow the classic white winemaking method. The Pinot Grigio grapes are bolstered by regional characteristics such as the typical Puglian cultivars mentioned above, helping it acquire a distinct personality and stronger identity. For Torrevento, it was important to rise to this challenge without compromising on identity.
Pinot Grigio is therefore the allochthonous/international variety that has succeeded more than the others in finding an all-Italian identity and becoming a global reference point. This is a special case that demonstrates how a non-'typical' variety can successfully convey individual regional identities with greater appeal and more direct international recognition.
The Torrevento winery was established in an ancient stone monastery dating back to the 17th century.
Wine Terroirs
Wine Terroirs
Wine Terroirs