Pinot Grigio has been hiding in plain sight for years now. All over northern Italy winemakers have been churning out zillions of gallons of light-colored, aromatically neutral, crisply nondescript wines to satisfy an army of unquenchably thirsty and unaccountably unsophisticated palates. The people want bland Pinot Grigio! At least that’s what the farmers say. How else would you explain why an otherwise interesting variety is routinely harvested before it’s reached the level of ripeness required to invest it with the same luxuriant charms that Pinot Gris routinely produces in Alsace?

All this Italian Pinot abuse has had us on the run for years. Every time a well made Pinot Grigio appeared on the Vino tasting table we found ourselves making another round of excuses. We couldn’t possibly let a tasty $15.00 PG steamroll our Verdicchio, Erbaluce, Falanghina and Friulano. How would they compete? We run no more.

Clic Pinot Grigio 2009
$13
A medium-to-full-bodied Pinot Grigio with a pink screw cap and a pedigree from one of the best winemakers in Friuli’s Collio zone. Fabio Coser buys fruit from his favorite farmers at its ripest and vinifies in temperature-controlled stainless steel.

Castel Sallegg Pinot Grigio 2009 1 liter
$17
Slightly lighter in body than the Clic, this citrus-scented PG comes from our favorite Alto Adige estate. Winemaker Matthias Hauser picks just shy of full ripeness to produce wines with zesty acidity. The one-liter bottle is a great value as the wine is only two dollars more expensive than the traditional 750ml.

For more information please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.