Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio is the white wine King of British Columbia, with 25% of the white wine crop.
Call me Gris or Grigio?
You probably already know that Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same wine.
Both Grigio and Gris both mean “grey,” as noted by the pinkish-grey sheen of the ripe grape’s skin. This varietal is famous for its refreshing citrus flavour and zesty acidity. Surprisingly, this greyish-purple grape is also a Pinot Noir1 mutation.
Here are some interesting facts about British Columbia’s leading white wine.
If you are one of the very few who don’t like Pinot Gris straight up, here is another great way to enjoy this versatile white wine.
White Peach Sangria
If you are looking for a white wine Sangria recipe, Jessica has an excellent one2. A Pinot Gris Peach Sangria, all made up of fresh fruit and bubbles, is ready for the weekend.
Ingredients
- Two 10-ounce bags of frozen peaches
- 1 1/2 cups frozen green grapes some sliced, some whole
- One 750 mL bottle of Pinot Gris
- 1 1/2 cups of peach nectar can be found near the shelf-stable juices in your grocery store or juice
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 1/2 cup Grand Marnier liqueur
- 2 cups club soda plain or whatever flavour (peach!) you’d like
- 2 peaches sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Place the frozen peaches and grapes in the bottom of your pitcher.
- Pour the wine, peach nectar, brandy, Grand Marnier, and club soda over top and stir. This tastes great when it sits in the fridge and “marinates” for a bit. But you can also serve it right away! The frozen fruit acts like ice cubes and keeps it super cold.
- Serve over ice and garnish with fresh peach slices.
What is the Best Way to serve Pinot Gris?
Pinot Gris is best served chilled at around 9° C or 48° F. Wine straight out of the refrigerator is often too cold, and the flavours of the wine will be muted. Remove the fully chilled white wine from the refrigerator half an hour before serving it. It will reach the optimal serving temperature as it sits on the counter.
Best Value BC Pinot Gris
Dirty Laundry Pinot Gris 2023 ($21.99)
“100% Pinot Gris from estate vineyards in Summerland. The Pinot Gris gets very dark in colour during the ripening phase of the growing season, so to retain the crispness and have minimal colour, we press the juice off the skins right away & cold settle everything in tank for a few days before initiating fermentation. Usually showing notes of pear and grapefruit, we keep the fermentation temperatures relatively low to bring out interesting fruity esters and retain acidity. This is a well rounded representation of the most planted varietal in the Okanagan.”Mason Spink, Winemaker
Alcohol 12% / pH 3.27 / TA 6.95 / RS 4.95
Aromas of green apple, tropical fruit and citrus. Flavours of pineapple, golden apple, Anjou pear, nectarine and honeydew melon. A crisp, off-dry Pinot Gris with a light creamy texture. 90 Points
Blue Grouse Quill Pinot Gris 2021
Available by the glass at all Tap and Barrel locations
The Pinot Gris grapes came from three Cowichan Valley vineyards, each with a different soil type, combining to deliver a unique terroir-driven wine. The growers have long-standing relationships with Blue Grouse and deliver fruit that is consistent with our quality requirements.
This wine was fermented in three separate stainless-steel tanks. One tank naturally went through malolactic fermentation, whereas the other did not. The three tanks were blended before bottling, resulting in a lush, focused wine with a perfect balance.
ALC 12.0% / PH 3.2 / TA 6.6 / RS 3.3
Aromas of caramel, apple and a hint of oak. Vibrant flavours of fresh green apple, Meyer lemon, butterscotch, toast, and pears with a hint of minerality. A rich and creamy mouthfeel with a medium finish. This is an exceptional BC PG. 92 Points
Roche Pinot Gris ‘Texture’ 2020 ($21.90)
This Pinot Gris is grown at Kozier Organic Vineyard on the Naramata Bench. The certified organic farm slopes west to face the setting sun and Okanagan Lake. The synergy of a warm micro-climate with cool soils ensures long, even ripening.
Winemaking: Hand-picked, whole bunches were gently pressed and free-run juice was settled overnight. Fermentation was completed in stainless steel tanks over three weeks. The wine remained on fine lees for four months before bottling. This wine is a clear expression of the freshness and minerality of this varietal.
Alcohol 13.9%, pH 3.11, TA 6.5 gm/L, RS 1.1 gm/ L
On the nose, orchard fruit and citrus blossoms. Favours of green apples, Anjou pears, lychee, Meyer Lemon, Mandarin Orange and a whiff of ginger. The bone-dry Gris has a crisp, juicy mouthfeel with well-balanced acidity, leading to a most enjoyable finish. 91 Points
Chronos Pinot Gris 2021 ($24.99)
The Pinot Gris is hand-harvested and hand-sorted from a small family vineyard in Summerland with ideal conditions and breathtaking views. The grapes were whole bunch pressed and fermented at cool temperatures to retain the fresh fruit aromas. After fermentation, the wine remained on lees for two months to add texture and character.
Alcohol 12.7% / TA 7.0 / pH 3.47 / RS 4.5
Light aromas of ripe peach and pear with a hint of tropical fruit. Flavours of pineapple, yellow peach, honeydew melon and a touch of grapefruit on the finish. A crisp, lively Pinot Gris with a creamy texture and a hint of minerality. 91 Points
Hester Creek Pinot Gris 2023 ($19.99)
12.7% Alcohol / pH 3.4 / TA 6.8 / RS 1.9
The Foundation Series Pinot Gris has a lovely floral aroma of honeysuckle and citrus blossoms. The dry and vibrant palate reveals lemon, lime zest, pear, and granny smith green apple with a delicate mineral backbone. 90 Points.
Township 7 Provenance Series Pinot Gris 2022 ($24.97)
The wine was predominantly fermented in stainless steel to retain fresh fruit character, and one barrel was added for body and complexity. The juice was kept cool during fermentation at 14°C. The fruit picked from the Naramata Estate vineyard had great natural acidity, allowing for a fruit-forward wine with a refreshing crispness.
Alcohol 13.5%/ pH 3.4 / TA 6.0 / RS 5.0 Vegan
The Pinot Gris bursts with aromas of peach, honeysuckle, and pear. Flavours of apricot, green apple and Meyer lemon with a mineral finish. 90 Points
Pair with sushi, seafood salads and a lighter risotto with fresh peas and spring asparagus.
Solvero Pinot Gris 2022 ($25)
The Pinot Gris was harvested from 21-year-old, low-yielding vines in the estate Happy Valley vineyard. Cool fermentation for over 21 days in a combination of 50/50 stainless steel tanks and neutral French oak, and then aged for four months before bottling.
The PG has a lovely aroma of honeysuckle and white stone fruit blossoms. The medium-bodied wine has an elegant creamy texture with ripe peach, apricot, and nectarine flavours with a touch of minerality. 91 points.
Sperling Vineyards Natural Organic Amber Pinot Gris 2021 ($32)
“We’ve always had a holistic approach to our winemaking using native and organic yeasts but each time we make this wine, we dig deeper into a grape that everyone making wine or drinking it in the Okanagan thinks they know. We asked, what happens when you take not only 65% of the Pinot Gris grape and ferment it, but 95-100%. So we included whole clusters, and stemmed grapes in a ferment of wild yeast and wild malolactic, taking sugars and malic acid to complete dryness. And then what if you press and settle rather than fine or filter – and leave the natural structural elements of the grape intact and not ameliorate with additives, such as sulphites.
The result is a whole expression of Pinot Gris vines that have adapted themselves over 20 years to our site. It is not an expression of vessel, but a savory expression of the complete grape. It may be an umami expression through the grape, but there’s no denying that this wine loves food.”
When the wine is opened in the tasting room it can be sampled over a week, the wine changes but doesn’t fall apart! The tannins keep the wine vital. One of the things that annoys wine writers is that the wine changes over time! This just shows how much life there is in the wine.”
Ann Sperling, Winemaker
This is a wine for natural wine enthusiasts and beer drinkers that loves IPA! Make sure the wine is chilled and allowed to open in the glass for at least 30 minutes before drinking.
Aromas of apricot, apple skins, orange zest and just a hint of Earl Grey tea. Medium-bodied with a wonderfully textured mouthfeel. Citrus, peach pit, and orchard fruit on the dry and concentrated palate that ends with a slightly bitter and medium finish.
A perfect example of how a natural food-friendly wine can excel! 92 Points
Church & State Sparkling Pinot Gris 2018 ($25.75)
The Pinot Gris grapes are also from the Brentwood Bay Vineyard on Vancouver Island. Méthode Traditionnelle, on the lees for 12 months.
11.9% Alcohol | TA: 7.9 G/ L| RS: 10.5 G/ L
The colour is pale yellow with green hues. The sparkling wine is bright, fresh, and lightly floral. Aromas of crisp citrus open to notes of apple and pear. The palate is balanced in acidity and expansive with subtle fruit flavours and a long finish that ends with a zest. 91 Points
Mayhem Pinot Gris 2022 ($18.36)
The pinot gris grapes are from the Ryegrass Road Vineyard in Oliver. The fruit was whole bunch pressed, followed by a long, cool 10-week fermentation in stainless steel. Before finishing fermentation, 16% of the wine was transferred to seasoned barriques to build body and complexity. The wine then spent 5 months resting on its fine lees before being blended and bottled creating a wine that is very grounded and approachable.
Alcohol 13.1 %/ pH 3.05/ TA 7.97 / RS 0.44
A bone dry light Pinot Gris. Delicate aromas of citrus and stonefruit. Green apple, pear, lemon zest, nectarine, and honey are on the palate. Finishes with bright acidity and a hint of minerality. Excellent value and is ideal for summer sipping. 90 Points
Now you have selected the right wine, the next step is to find the right food pairing.
What do you pair with Pinot Gris/ Pinot Grigio?
This wine goes with almost everything, including nothing, which is sometimes a fine option. Six excellent pairings3 are:
- Antipasti, especially seafood and vegetable-based ones like seafood salad or marinated fish like octopuses.
- Fried fish or vegetables such as fritto misto – or even fish and chips.
- Light pasta sauces include seafood like clams, cream, or fresh tomato (it’s not so good with more robust meaty sauces). You can even add a splash of the wine to the recipe for tiger prawns with tomato and basil sauce. Pinot Grigio is great with a carbonara, too.
- Light seafood or vegetable-based risottos such as risotto primavera (with spring vegetables such as peas and asparagus) or with fennel.
- Light seafood salads such as crab or prawn/shrimp salad.
- Sushi – it might not be the obvious pairing, but it’s a good one!
References
- What’s the Difference Between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio? Wine Folly
- PINOT PEACH SANGRIA. How Sweet Eats
- Six of the best pairings for Pinot Grigio, Fiona Beckett – Matching Food & Wine
Conclusion
British Columbia winemakers deliver many excellent Pinot Gris. I would love to hear from you about these wines or other great BC wines I have missed sampling in the comment section below.
Note: Updated with current vintages in December 2023.