Vine varieties: Pinot Gris/Grigio

The faddishness of the American market place has winemakers constantly on the look-out for a new trend (see abc). By 1998, Pinot Gris had begun to be discussed as a potential candidate, and in 2004 Pinot Gris (often labelled Pinot Grigio) inched passed Sauvignon Blanc to become the second most widely sold white wine in America. No single style has emerged as dominant but California’s generally warm climate and its experimentally inclined winemakers tend more toward Alsace richness than toward the crisper style found in Italy.