Pinot Grigio recommendations?

Our wine group is meeting on the 17th, and the chosen varietal is Pinot Grigio, a wine I don't particularly enjoy and therefore don't know much about. I have a feeling many people will be bringing Santa Margarita, because I have heard that is one of the good ones. Can anyone steer me to another good one? It can be either American or Italian.

Many thank yous.

[James Roscoe]

Trimbach Pinot Gris, same grape, different style. You will like the Alsatian take on Pinot Grigio I'm betting.

Pinot Gris/Chardonnay..Cline Calif.
Lurton PG Argentina.
Kim Crawford NZ.
Albrecht Alsace.

A no-brainer...one of the best made anywhere. And it even ages amazingly well.
Tom

[Robin Garr]

Can anyone steer me to another good one? It can be either American or Italian.

The Alsace suggestion is good IF you're permitted to substitute Gris for Grigio. And I'm sure Steve Edmunds' bottling is worthy, although I haven't tried it.

If it needs to be Grigio, though, look for just about any Italian that specifically has either Collio or Colli Orientale as the DOC. Pinot Grigio is really best if you head for the hills.

[Jenise]

Carrie, if it needs to be Italian, one that's pretty widely available and that will steal hearts away from the Santa Margherita (which I think is ridiculously overpriced) is Zenato's Pinot Grigio. It shows a little more oak, but that's why people tend to like it--it feels big and rich. And I would warn you away from any bottle from any producer in vintage 2003. Buy 04 or 05.

IMO the best Pinot Grigio comes from the Alto Adige (also known as the Sudtirol). There are a number of excellent co-ops up there that are well distributed, such as Terlano, Termeno, Abbazia di Novacella.

Santa Margarita is a $4 supermarket wine in Italy that through a triumph of marketing has become $20 here. Not my first choice.

You've gotten some good suggestions, to which I'd only add:

1) If Pinot Gris is acceptable, there are some creditable versions from Oregon. King Estate comes to mind. Adelsheim may also bottle a PG. Montevina from Amador County (California) actually calls theirs Pinot Grigio, and while it's not great wine, it might give an interesting style contrast.

2) Of the widely available Italians, I'd say Ca Montini's "Aristocratico" offers far better value than Santa Margarita. It's a Trentino PG, IIRC. In my opinion, producers from Trentino, Alto Adige, and especially Collio (as Robin noted) do much better with this grape than those who label their wine "della Venezia."

Great, just remembered that there is a very good Estancia Pinot Grigio. $???

Carrie,

Try " Bottega Vinaia". Out of the Trentino-Alto Adige area (Northern Italy). You'll be surprised at the intensity compared to some of the more commonly known Pinot Grigios

About 18-19.00 / bottle

Richard

Carrie, if it needs to be Italian, one that's pretty widely available and that will steal hearts away from the Santa Margherita (which I think is ridiculously overpriced) is Zenato's Pinot Grigio. It shows a little more oak, but that's why people tend to like it--it feels big and rich. And I would warn you away from any bottle from any producer in vintage 2003. Buy 04 or 05.

Excellent suggestion...you beat me to it. I had it for the first time a couple of weeks ago when I was shopping for reasonable priced wines for a dinner party for 20.

Scott

Echoing the above comments, throw in some Alsatian versions and you'll have quite the contrast to the Northern Italian, as most are quite rich thick and tropical. Of course you could also host tastings entirely on the diversity within Alsatian PG, but, hey, so many ways to cut it..

Mario Schiopetto is fantastic if you don't mind spending $30+. I also like Movia from Slovenia $25 ish. But Alsace is in a class by itself. Why even bother with domestic? -Not to offend all of the die-hard west coast Pinot Grigio lovers out there!




Prost!
Bill

Yes. The Schiopetto is the most robust Pinot Grigio I have had by far. Do mix in some Pinot Gris from Alsace. Trimbach is a great choice as was previously mentioned. Then pick up a low end, light weight offering, like "Bella Sera", for comparison sake.

Very good and fairly priced (over here anyway) PGs have been Joseph Scharsch's from Alsace and Alois Lageder's from Alto-Adige. Both have nice minerality to them usually.

Had a pretty bad 2004 St Michael Eppan Pinot Grigio the other night.

Do not purchase that except to show people bland boring wine.

IMO the best Pinot Grigio comes from the Alto Adige (also known as the Sudtirol). There are a number of excellent co-ops up there that are well distributed, such as Terlano, Termeno, Abbazia di Novacella.

Santa Margarita is a $4 supermarket wine in Italy that through a triumph of marketing has become $20 here. Not my first choice.

I second, third, at fourth Oliver's recommendation.

You can also find some fine Pinot Grigio from Friuli from either of the Felluga cousins and from Pighin (sp).

S. Margarita should be put out to the pasture that it tastes like...

Had a pretty bad 2004 St Michael Eppan Pinot Grigio the other night.

Do not purchase that except to show people bland boring wine.

I have to say that I think most people buy PG precisely because it is bland; it's the new Chardonnay in this respect, also in that it is only interesting when it is grown in very specific places. (I hear convincing rumors that much of the cheaper PG is helped along with Trebbiano Toscano, which can't help.)

Most N. Italian producers who make PG also make other varieties, and I almost always like them more than the PG. Pinot Blanc, for example, makes much more intesting wines than PG, especially in the Alto Adige. The named-site PBs from the Alto Adige can be scrumptious, eg the '02 Terlaner 'Vorberg' was excellent a year ago. Hell, the best Sylvaners are much more interesting, to complete the contrast with Alsace.

Carrie, Since you are in California, I hope you can find this Oregon wine. It gets no closer to Kentucky than Ohio, yet it is my favorite US pinot grigio. Stone Wolf, makes nothing but fine wine, and their pg is nothing short of remarkable, IMO of course. Linda Lindsay and her hubby are the grape growers and wine makers and they do a fine job. if you can't find it where you are, call her or look at her web site here:
http://www.stonewolfvineyards.com/

Bob, thank you -- wish I would have seen your note sooner (my bad for not checking -- been working too hard lately.) It would have been perfect to have brought a good American Pinot Grigio. As it turned out, we had two American Pinots, three from Italy, and one from British Columbia. Far and away, two of Italians were the best, and the one from BC (Mission Hill) was very interesting (nose and taste overwhelmingly grape fruit). One of the American's was pleasant enough (Luna '05), but the other was just about down right undrinkable. I think it was Fetzer, but can't be certain -- I think I blocked it out.

Out of the three Italians, the best one was the Zenata that we brought (thank you Jenise). It really was quite good, and had that been one of my earlier Pinot Grigio experiences, I actually may have liked the stuff. Livio Felluga (from the Colli Orientali region--Robin's suggestion) was another that was quite good. Both of these had relatively full bodies which is what set them apart from the Americans. Someone brought Ecco Domani and that fell into the category of awful (very strange nose too).

Interestingly, no one brought Santa Margherita.

Thanks to all of you for your valued input!!