Pinot Grigio
The popularity of the pinot grigio grape (alternatively known as pinot gris, malvoisie, Ruländer or Grauburgunder) has increased rapidly in recent years.
Pinot grigio is considered to be a relatively easy and versatile grape to grow and is grown successfully in much of Europe, as well as in Oregon and the Okanagan Valley in south west Canada. Although at first glance the grape could be mistaken for pinot noir, because of its grayish blue color, it is used exclusively for the production of white wines. These wines can vary from being dry and fresh tasting with a hint of honey to heavier sweet examples.
The quality of wine produced from this grape has risen largely as a result of the introduction of modern production methods, including cool fermentation techniques. This transformation has been particularly noticeable with Italian production, where pinot grigio wines are unrecognizable when compared with what was being churned out even ten years ago.
As with a number of other classic white grapes (gewürztraminer, riesling), the best pinot grigio wines come from Alsace, in eastern France, where the grape is officially called tokay pinot gris. Other European regions producing drinkable wines made from this grape include Germany, Austria and Romania.
Matching Pinot Grigio With Food
Being an "easy drinking" wine, pinot grigio goes well with a number of different dishes. It is an ideal wine accompaniment to seafood - most seafood, white fish (whether simply grilled or cooked in a cream and white wine sauce), salmon (fresh or smoked) or tuna. If you prefer meat to fish, then consider drinking pinot grigio with poultry, pheasant or pork. Pinot grigio goes well with pasta in a cream sauce, so why not try it next time you feel like some spaghetti carbonara. Whatever you choose to eat, so long as it's not excessively spicy, then pinot grigio is probably an option worth considering. (Sounds good to me!)