A wine by any other name...
Pinot Grigio is the star of Italian whites. Christine Austin looks for others with a bit more character.
Pinot Grigio is the darling of the wine shelves. Sales have soared in recent years from a standing start just a decade ago to more than 50 million bottles last year.
So what are the characteristics which have driven this grape variety from zero to hero in such a short time?
Essentially none. It seems that people enjoy it because it avoids all those intrusive flavours that many other grape varieties have. Pinot Grigio has none of the hefty, oily oaky flavours that old-style Chardonnay is guilty of while the zippy, gooseberry-fresh flavours of Sauvignon Blanc can also be a little too dominant for easy drinking.
Viognier is difficult to say and it has that apricot fruit taste while Albario also fails in the pronunciation category and manages to be a notch too high in price.
Essentially it seems that drinkers enjoy Pinot Grigio because it is crisp, clean, bland and gluggable, as well as being affordable and easy to order. It can go from a pre-lunch aperitif, through lunch and a sunny afternoon right into the evening without missing a beat.
Pinot Grigio is grown around the world, but has a split personality. Known by its more usual name of Pinot Gris it can produce fabulous complex, honeyed wines in Alsace, bright mango and quince flavours in New Zealand and intensely sweet wines in Canada.
But in Italy it has always been called Pinot Grigio and produced rather light, inoffensive wines.
Once supermarkets realised the marketing potential of Pinot Grigio they encouraged vineyards around the world to plant more of this grape variety, but also to change the name from its usual Pinot Gris to Pinot Grigio. I have even heard of some French producers being encouraged to switch languages – just to fit in with the fashion.
The trouble with bland wines is that they sometimes become too bland to be worthwhile and many of the Pinot Grigio wines on the shelves fall into that category.
I have tasted quite a few in recent weeks and have found just a few that deserve their fame. I have also discovered a handful of other Italian whites which capture those much-loved light, clean, thirst-quenching flavours but with just a bit more taste to give them character.
Majestic is the first place to head for some good Italian whites. The new set of offers at this by-the-case retailer is offering 20 per cent off any Italian wines when you buy two bottles as part of your mixed dozen and this brings a whole range of wines into their comfort zone.
Try Pinot Grigio Superiore 2007 from Cantina Beato da Bartolomeo da Breganze which comes down from 6.24 to 4.99 on multibuy. This delights the palate with touch of honeysuckle on the nose and clean, light citrusy fruit. It will accompany spring-into-summer foods perfectly, such as barbecued king prawns, salads and risotto.
There is also a pink version which looks good but doesn't really add much in terms of flavour.
Marks and Spencer also has a good Pinot Grigio 2007 (5.99) which they source as grapes from vineyards across the Venezie and then transport to a winery in Friuli where the wine is made. It has a touch more depth and smoky complexity than many other versions. Morrisons also managed to find a good Pinot Grigio to put under their The Best label (5.99) although their Pinot Grigio/Garganega Night Harvest (4.49) follows in the standard tradition of being bland and boring.
Now having tried and tested a number of Italian white wines, I have found that there are much more exciting choices than Pinot Grigio.
Majestic has the fabulous Fiano di Sicilia 2007 (4.79 multibuy) which should sweep across the nation's palates just like Pinot Grigio, except that there just isn't enough to go round. It has fresh pear and melon fruit, light, fresh and clean with green edges and a delicious texture which makes it perfect to put alongside food.
Falanghina is another ancient grape variety which is being hauled back from the brink of extinction by the winery Feudi di San Gregorio based in the Avellino hills of Campania, just north of Naples. Falanghina dei Feudi di San Gregorio 2007 (Majestic 7.99 multibuy) is a superb wine with delicious apple, banana and peachy fruit wrapped up with a smoky, minerally, savoury taste. This is a glorious lunchtime wine and it will happily accompany anything from chilled soups to lightly spiced chicken.
Marks and Spencer also has a Falanghina-based wine which has just a hint of Fiano to lift the aromas. Bianco Beneventano 2007 (4.29) is a great-value wine with delicious garden-fresh flavours that will come into its own as soon as summer arrives. Put some in the fridge now to wait for the right weather.
The white grape Arneis used to be grown solely to soften the harshness of Nebbiolo in Piemontese reds but is now venturing out alone as a white wine with an elegant, perfumed character. Majestic scores once again with Roero Arneis 2007 from Marco Porello (7.99 multibuy) which captures the scent of tree blossom and spring flowers but backs it with crisp fruit on the palate and a nutty complexity on the finish. Most wines do not include instructions for use but this one should definitely mention the need for a straw hat and a deck chair in the shade before opening the bottle.
Cortese is another mild-mannered white Italian grape and when it is grown in the Gavi part of Piemonte it is known as Gavi di Gavi.
Normally this is a mild-mannered white wine to be enjoyed with fish, but one company at least has learnt how to get more flavour into the wine. They leave the grapes on the vines until they are very ripe, then pick them, in effect making a late harvest or Raccolto Tardivo.
Unlike most late harvest wines, these grapes are fermented through to dryness, so the wine is full of ripe pineapple and honeysuckle flavours, with a steely layer of minerality behind. It is a terrific wine to enjoy with any kind of fish, but is particularly good served with plain grilled sole or turbot. Gavi di Gavi Raccolto Tardivo 2006 from La Toledana is available at Majestic, 6.96 on multibuy.
Other good Italian whites which are well worth a try when you are tired of Pinot Grigio include Villa Antinori's Bianco 2007 (Morrisons 7.99) which combines fresh clean lemongrass fruit with a light almondy finish and Pecorino 2007 (Marks and Spencer 9.99) which should not be confused with the cheese of the same name.
Pecorino is another recently-rescued Italian grape variety with rounded, nutty flavours which really comes into its own when put alongside food.
It has enough acidity and body to combine with whatever is on the plate – even grilled meats and fish.
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