I just finished the last bottle of my favorite Pinot Grigio, from Mosby Winery in Buellton.
Mosby specializes in Cal-Italian wines produced from estate-grown grapes, and this Pinot Grigio was a beauty, citrusy, acidic, loaded with flavor and as good as ever, although the vintage date was 2012.
Sadly, I don't see Pinot Grigio on the winery website any more, so I guess this was my last encounter with this lovely wine.
(Update: Good news. The wine isn't gone. It's so popular it has been sold out. Mosby will release Pinot Grigio again next year.)
To learn more about this popular wine, I signed up for a Pinot Grigio seminar when the Simply Italian Great Wines U.S. Tour came to Los Angeles.
The seminar was sponsored by the new Consorzio Tutela Vini D.O.C. delle Venezie, representing an appellation formed just two years ago.
Delle Venezie, I learned, is the largest Pinot Grigio producing area in Italy and the world. It incorporates three territories, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino and Veneto, located between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea.
Consorzio rules include limiting production to improve quality. The wines must be 85% Pinot Grigio, with the remaining 15 % composed of approved non-aromatic grapes.
The Italian style of Pinot Grigio is high in acidity and minerality but lower in tropical fruit. "The level of acidity and freshness set it apart," said Laura Donadoni, who led the seminar with Nazareno Vicenzi of the Consorzio, which is the largest in Italy.
The Pinot Grigio grape thrives in a cool, temperate climate and not in hot areas, so wines produced in warm areas are not typical, Donadoni said. In France, Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris) is harvested later, and the wines are more similar to a Chardonnay, she said.
Italy grows the most Pinot Grigio in the world (43%) followed by the United States (15%). The USA is also the largest export market for Italian Pinot Grigio (37%). The wine is so popular that it is grown almost everywhere, even in tiny Moldavia (4%).
While the experts talked, seminar participants tasted eight examples, all reasonably priced. If you want to get an idea of what Pinot Grigio, Stile Italiano, should taste like, start with these:
Kris Pinot Grigio delle Venezie D.O.C. 2018, from Kris Winery, which has produced quality Pinot Grigio since 1993. The wine is dry, with a citrusy nose and bright acidity. It aged several months in stainless steel before bottling.
Voga Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie D.O.C. 2018. This one is from Enoitalia S.P.A., the largest privately owned winery in Italy. It's delicate in the mouth and with hints of ripe peaches, apples and vegetables. Serve it with pasta, white meat and fresh cheeses.
Ai Palazzi Dorsoduro Pinot Grigio delle Venezie D.O.C. 2018, from Masottina winery. The wine was fermented with select yeasts in steel tanks for 6 months, followed by 3 months in the bottle. It's complex, with layers of flavor, and can go with richer foods.
Kroger Pinot Grigio delle Venezie D.O.C. 2018, from Cantina di La-Vis e Valle di Cembra, S.C.A. Grown by a cooperative in the Adige Valley, it's made from 100% Pinot Grigio. The production is small, just 8,000 bottles a year.
Cadis Pinot Grigio delle Venezie D.O.C. 2018, a more ripe style of wine from a hillside vineyard. Nice with risotto, grilled fish and sushi. The winery, Cantina di Soave S.A.C., was founded in 1898.
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio delle Venezie D.O.C.2018, a delicate wine more on the floral side, good to serve with lighter dishes including fish, eggs, pasta with vegetables and white meats. This wine blends in 5% Chardonnay. The winery is Nosio S.P.A.
Villa San Martino Pinot Grigio delle Venezie D.O.C. 2018, from the winery Cantina di Bertiolo S.P.A. As you taste it, think of grapefruit, white peaches and aromatic herbs. It's a good choice for Asian dishes.
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie D.O.C. 2018, from Bidoli winery. This wine has a delicate pinkish color and the tactile sensation of a rosé wine. It can accompany pizza and other tomato dishes that don't usually go with white wines.
And if you want to try a California Pinot Grigio that's readily available, pick up this one from San Antonio Winery. It's fresh, light and lovely, made from Monterey County grapes. I bought it at the tasting room in downtown Los Angeles, but if you can't get there, you can order it online, through the San Antonio Winery website.
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