Pinot Grigio Recs?

I don't drink, so when it comes to shopping for wine, it becomes more daunting than house hunting for me!

I want to complete a housewarming gift with a bottle of wine. Her boyfriend tells me that she prefers a pinot grigio. At home, they usually have a Bella Sera or a Santa Margherita pinot grigio. I tried calling Trattoria Demi for their brand, which she absolutely loves, but I had difficulty catching the Italian label name. Can anyone so kindly enlighten me and suggest a bottle for $15 or so? Thank you very much!

You won't have to spend $15 on it, but my favorite Pinot Grigio is Meredian. It is Californian as opposed to Italian. Pinot Grigio is a grape name, not a place name.

For the record, the grape is also known as pinot gris in France and elsewhere. But give me a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc any day ... I've never met a Pinot Gris/Grigio which I really liked.

nr706 wrote:I've never met a Pinot Gris/Grigio which I really liked.

NR706,

I keep trying PG's, thinking that one will click, but it never does. For me, it's like drinking tinted water, but I think for people who probably don't care for wine much, it may be just the thing: not aggressive in any sense, goes down easy, inoffensive.

Hammond

I love good P.G., but it has gotten fairly expensive. Santa Marg. used to be head and shoulders above the rest in price without, IMHO, having anything special to offer taste-wise. Now almost all the good ones are in that close-to-$20 range as well.

Traditionally, Livio Felluga's is wonderful. Just a bit of time on the grape skins gives it a slighltly coppery tint. More body than most, but still light and crisp.

I believe Alois Lageder also makes a very good one. I have had delicious versions from Silvio Jehrmann and Villa Russiz as well.

There are many, many people producing it now because people know the grape name and it's marketable.

Friuli and Trentino Alto-Adige are 2 regions where very good PG comes from. [/u]

mrbarolo wrote:I love good P.G., but it has gotten fairly expensive. Santa Marg. used to be head and shoulders above the rest in price without, IMHO, having anything special to offer taste-wise. Now almost all the good ones are in that close-to-$20 range as well.

I was thinking about starting a thread called "how much is Santa Margherita worth?" but found this in an existing thread, so I'll use it as my jumping-off point.

The normal price of Sta. M is $21.99, and according to the marketing that's because it's the gold standard of pinot grigios. (Well, that's a separate question -- we did a little blind taste test at home once and both of us liked the other pinot grigio that was $8 cheaper than Sta. M. But that was just one test so I don't consider it conclusive.)

Occasionally I see a sale price of, say, $18.99 for Sta. M, but during this past week, in advance of Thanksgiving, I've noticed a flurry of sale prices at grocery stores, Sams, and local wine stores, all the way down to $15.99. This is the lowest price I've ever seen for Sta. M, but is it all just hype? Is it even $6/bottle better, much less $12/bottle better, than other pinot grigios?

I realize context is important too -- it makes a nice hostess gift, for example. But when it's just you and your fambly or buds at home ... how much more is Santa Margherita worth?

Katie wrote:Occasionally I see a sale price of, say, $18.99 for Sta. M, but during this past week, in advance of Thanksgiving, I've noticed a flurry of sale prices at grocery stores, Sams, and local wine stores, all the way down to $15.99. This is the lowest price I've ever seen for Sta. M, but is it all just hype? Is it even $6/bottle better, much less $12/bottle better, than other pinot grigios?

Yesterday, I was at the Jewel on Howard St. in Evanston, and they had Sta. M for $15 something (with a Jewel card). I almost bought it, but then I thought the same thing, even at that price, is it worth it?. Instead I grabbed a Ste Michelle Riesling on sale for $9.99 (good generic turkey pairing). Then again, I am not really a big pinot G fan (for a light italian white, I prefer a Frascati). But you should take advantage of the sale price while it lasts.

I agree with Hammond and nr706 in not particularly liking the average pinot grigio. I have heard from somebody who has worked in the business (wine business, that is) that Santa Margherita owes its success more to its aggressive marketing than to its quality. From my perspective, this claim makes sense, since it struck me when I've had it that it is a remarkably overpriced wine.

The Alsatian Pinot Gris is generally far more interesting to me than the Italian grey counterparts (though I know there are some from the far north of Italy referred to by mrbarolo that I still need to try -- hard to overcome one's prejudices!).

Antonius

Here's a post that is less than useful...

Last summer when I was at Craftsteak in Las Vegas, the wine pairings included a Pinot Grigio. I was a bit surprised originally that one of the wine selections would be well, so cheap. Then we got the pour.

This was so unlike any Pinot Grigio I ever had. The best I can describe it was like a tarter version of Sauternes. It had a very heavy mouth feel and even a sweet undertone. Just really spectacular (and so unlike anything I ever had in a Pinot Grigio).

Now, I have no idea what was the actual wine, and it was so good, I even wonder if the restaurant made a typo, maybe this was a Chard or something. Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about or know of any upscale PGs like this?

This is just a thought--substantiated by no actual data whatever--my favorite type of thought, so freeing:

As places like Cali. have started producing PG, perhaps the result, either by choice or by climate, is wine of a very different character than traditional Italian PG. So maybe your PG came from somewhere that produces stylistically different stuff. (Though, if the point is to capitalize on the popularity of light, crisp, bland Santa M., then it would be odd to go and make the wine you describe.)

Maybe your wine was a Pinot Gris. I have had U.S. Pinot Gris that had a very big, viscous feel on the tongue. (Though they did not have any Sauternes like sweetness.)

Santa Magherita the town is a lovely coastal town right next to the fenetic Portofino. My parents always liked to stay at the Regina Elena Hotel. There are no vineyards in Santa Margherita.
As Antonius stated the success of the wine is marketing, albeit brilliant marketing having virtually created the market for pinot grigio. Having created the market and defended with significant ad and promo dollars, they have also reaped the benefits of premium pricing.
The wine itself is actually a coop wine featuring grapes from any number of local vineyards. I find it no better, or worse, than the cheapest PG on the shelf.
That said you do have to give "props" to the people who developed the brand. Take an innocuous, totally inoffensive, wine with a low production cost, market the hell out of it, develop/defend a market, reap the benefits.
Personally I admire the marketing; would never buy a bottle of it.

Euripides wrote:A certain Dionysus, whoever he may be. --Bacchae 220

I hesitate to quarrel with a god, especially the Invisible Enemy, but I raise my glass in support of the anti-pinot grigio faction. Italian whites have long been unremarkable, though the last decade has seen much improvement. If I were to drink something white and dry from NE Italy, I'd prefer a Soave (Pieropan, Tamellini, and Inama are typically good) to a PG. But the whites of the Piedmont would be better choices still, particularly Arneis, Gavi, and the lovely Erbaluce di Caluso (the 2000 by Ferrando was excellent).

Pinot Grigio is water a touch of alcohol, minimal taste and the finish of a good water. And by this I most certainly mean Italian Pinot Grigio. The best US Pinot Gris are from Washington, IMO, King being one to look for (but not cheap). Alsatian Pinot Gris is often nice, often with a floral touch and sweetness, though not quite as much as the New World version.

Sta Margherita as over $20 a bottle egads

Anyway, I suggest a Spanish white or rose as a much more interesting gift. Grab antything you find, and it is guaranteed to be better, less expensive and more fun that PG. If you want to be more main stream, go with a NZ Sauvignon Blanc; more obscure would be an Austrian Gruner Veltliner - that went through a brief period of faddishness which seems to have passed.

I like Orvieto (an Italian White) though I can't bring any specific producer to mind... It's light but flavorful, and not terribly expensive.

I like Kris Pinot Grigio. I've seen this at Binny's (for $10.99) and Dominick's, so I'm sure it is widely available.

In the world of better-than-water Italian whites, Tocai Friulano should not be ignored. It can be very crisp, nutty, tinted bronze from a bit of time on the skins, and an excellent accompaniment to shellfish and antipasto. The NE also has producers who do excellent versions of common varietals like SV and Chard., with the Chard. often un-oaked, and therefore crisper and fresher tasting than many others on the world market.

Down south (Campania) there is Greco di Tufo, which can be richer than the Friulian wines, a bit almondy and quite impresive. (Mastroberardino, Feudi San Gregorio). Also Fiano di Avellino, which some find more refined, others merely less flavorful.

None of these wines are Montrachet, but neither is anything else. They can be very tasty and excellent food wines as well.

I've been drinking a Pinot Grigio which I think is very good. It's a little more expensive than others you can get hold of but I think it's definitely worth the price.

Here's a link to it:

http://www.winedrop.co.uk/alberice-pinot-grigio~920