Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio as it should be: typical of the variety, fresh, without frills. Zenato vinifies the grapes in stainless steel, thus preserving the clear character of the grape variety. Straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. Pomaceous fruit and honeydew melon on the nose, juicy on the palate with moderate acidity and a creamy melt. The finish remains fresh and inviting. Versatile in use – whether as an aperitif, with salad, seafood or simply at the next party. Serve well chilled at max. 9°C. SUPERIORE.DE

The Riff project is a co-operation between Alois Lageder and local winegrowers in Veneto, where the grapes also thrive in selected vineyard sites. On its label, the segments of stylised ammonites tell the story of the formation of the mountainous landscape on which the vines for the Pinot Gris Riff now stand: From the ocean with its coral reefs to the unique terroir, in which many fossils of former ocean dwellers can still be discovered today.

Pinot Grigio from Abruzzo? Yes, and how. What often degenerates into a neutral mass-produced wine in Veneto or Friuli gains character in the hills of Chieti. The clayey soils and the combination of Adriatic breezes and Apennine coolness give the international grape variety a freshness and flavour that you will look for in vain elsewhere. The grapes are harvested early in the first half of August to preserve acidity and flavour. After gentle vacuum pressing, only the pre-fermentation must ferments at a low temperature. A short period on the lees gives the wine additional texture and depth before it is matured in stainless steel.

The vineyards extend between 350 and 800 metres above sea level, where cool nights and four additional hours of sunshine per day create optimal conditions. Deep soils of eroded material from the Dolomites, rich in clay and loam, give the Pinot Grigio its mineral foundation and characteristic freshness. For generations, Franz Haas has developed a special flair for high altitudes – what works here with the red wines also shows its strength with Pinot Grigio. The grapes ripen in south-south-west facing Guyot vines and, after careful hand-picking, are fermented at a controlled temperature in stainless steel (and a small proportion in barriques). Around four months of ageing on the fine lees give the wine additional complexity and a fuller texture. The characteristic screw cap is not a matter of cost, but a promise of quality: the wine stays fresh for longer and develops optimally in the bottle.

The sub-alpine microclimate between Bolzano and the Ritten gives this Pinot Gris its unmistakable personality. Warm alluvial and gravel soils form the foundation for a wine that combines Burgundian tradition with Alpine freshness. During vinification, cellar master Stephan Filippi deliberately favours gentle pressing and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel – a concept that perfectly preserves the natural fruitiness. Bright straw yellow with golden nuances, the 2024 reveals a multi-layered bouquet of ripe pears and apples, accompanied by subtle honey and nutty flavours. Its full-bodied nature and extract-rich character make it the perfect partner for mushroom risottos or traditional Schlutzkrapfen. A Pinot Gris with South Tyrolean soul and international stature. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Grigio has an image problem. Somewhere between mass-produced Veneto wine and an international run-of-the-mill wine, the impression has been created that it is a wine without ambition. If you want to correct this impression, look to South Tyrol. In the Alto Adige, the variety – originally from Burgundy – has found a terroir that gives it what it doesn't get elsewhere: cool nights, altitudes between 300 and 500 metres, calcareous soils, alpine precision. Cellar master Hans Terzer, who has been one of the defining figures of South Tyrolean white wine for decades, has clearly formulated the line: clean, varietally pure, clear in tonality. The St. Michael-Eppan winery, founded in 1907 and supported by 340 member families, has turned it into one of its best-selling wines – and rightly so. 100% Pinot Grigio, fermented and matured exclusively in steel.

A Pinot Gris as it finds its most beautiful expression in the South Tyrolean lowlands. Peter Zemmer selects the best grapes for this wine from vineyards on the valley floor and steep slopes around Kurtinig. The special microclimate, the calcareous gravel soils from moraine sediments and the sandy alluvial soils create optimal conditions for this noble Burgundy variety. The "Ora", the warm southerly wind from Lake Garda, ensures perfect aeration of the berries and guarantees healthy, fully ripe harvest. Maturation on the fine lees for several months gives the wine complexity and a creamy mouthfeel.

Pinot Grigio is the most widely cultivated white wine variety in South Tyrol – and at the same time the most misunderstood. Anyone who thinks it only knows one note has not yet drunk one from the vineyards around Termeno. The Tramin winery gets the best out of this grape variety: calcareous clay and gravel soils, altitudes between 200 and 400 metres and the temperature fluctuations between day and night that are typical of the valley. This is what gives the Pinot Grigio its tension. Vinified in steel tanks, with careful temperature control – no wood, no distractions. What ends up in the glass is the location.

A light straw yellow colour with a greenish tinge in the glass, "Grivò" visually signals freshness and lightness. The nose has a straightforward, delicately fruity aroma of Williams pear, green apple, white peach skin and a hint of bread. Juicy and lean on the palate with a clear texture, fine acidity and a subtle flinty finish. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the purity of the variety and emphasises the typical Friulian straightforwardness. An uncomplicated, but by no means banal Pinot Grigio with a signature style – charming, accessible and stylish at the same time. A crowd favourite with provenance, a perfect companion for light meals and convivial evenings. SUPERIORE.DE

The Lageder winery from Magrè in southern South Tyrol has been one of the region's defining forces for six generations – and since 2024, all the cultivated areas, including around 60 partner winegrowers, have been fully certified biodynamic or organic. Not just lip service, but a conviction that is put into practice. The Pinot Grigio comes from selected vineyards between Magrè and Salorno, at an altitude of 230 to 420 metres – stony, sandy soils with a high lime content, alpine temperature fluctuations and plenty of light. The vinification is based on a small proportion of maceration, which gives the variety texture and aromatic depth; the rest matures for four months on the lees in steel tanks.

Pinot Grigio is Italy's best-selling white wine variety – and at the same time one of the most misunderstood. What becomes a pale all-purpose weapon on an industrial scale shows a completely different face in South Tyrol. The grapes for Hofstätter's version come from Mazzon and Egna in the Adige Valley, where the soils are skeleton-rich and well-drained and the vine builds up its aromas with a concentration that gives the wine real substance.

Delicate straw yellow colour with a silvery shimmer – this Pinot Grigio reflects the elegance of the Colli Orientali in a particularly accessible way. The vines grow on calcareous hillside soils around Cividale, where warm days and cool nights refine the flavour of the grapes. The nose has a clear aroma of white melon, pear, green apple and a hint of acacia blossom. Juicy on the palate, with fresh acidity and a subtle spiciness that testifies to the terroir. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the purity and produces a cheerful, Mediterranean white wine that combines origin and style in charming harmony. A Pinot Grigio that bears the signature of the Sirch family as well as the purism of the region. SUPERIORE.DE

Floral and slightly spicy, stimulating bouquet of green apple, peach and melon. Aromatic freshness, fullness and harmony on the palate. Fine, clean and very harmonious quality. SUPERIORE.DE

South Tyrol's most widespread white wine develops its classic elegance on calcareous clay-dolomite soils between 260 and 380 metres. These medium altitudes offer optimal conditions for this classic grape variety: Alpine freshness with sufficient Mediterranean warmth for the reddish-grey berries. As a white mutation of Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio shows its southern Alpine facet here: controlled fermentation in stainless steel, followed by six months of ageing on the lees for additional texture and complexity.

A Pinot Grigio with substance and origin: the grapes for this classic white wine come from the chalky flysch soils of the Colli Orientali, where cooler nights and good aeration ensure aromatic clarity and freshness. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. The aroma is typical of the variety and delicate: yellow apple, pear, white flowers and a hint of lemon zest. Dry, lively and straightforward on the palate, with fine fruit, subtle minerality and balanced acidity. An elegant representative of its grape variety, not focussing on superficial fruit, but on balance and drinking flow. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Grigio has a difficult time. Too often softly rinsed, too often vinified for quantity – a name that promises more than it delivers. Things are different in Capriva del Friuli. Here the variety was once called "Ribolla di Capriva", here it is at home on Eocene marl and clay, here it is the last white vine to ripen – it is only harvested in the last decade of September, when the nights get cooler and the flavours settle. Emilio and Alessandro Rotolo vinify the Pinot Grigio with the same rigour as all the wines in the Pompiere line: soft pressing, fermentation in steel at low temperatures, short bottle ageing. No effort that goes beyond the fruit. The wine is allowed to show what the soil has to offer.

The cooperative's latest achievement: Stieler Pinot Grigio comes from hand-picked hillside vineyards on the Ritten between 500 and 600 metres, where vines over 25 years old put all their experience into the grapes. When developing the Cuvée TAL, cellar master Filippi recognised the extraordinary potential of these Ritten vineyards and created a unique single-vineyard wine from them. Gentle whole-cluster pressing and six months of ageing on the fine lees in large oak barrels give this Pinot Gris its characteristic complexity.

The evening fall winds of the Mendel Mountains characterise the entire terroir of the St. Michael-Eppan winery. They ensure cool nights and give the grapes those extraordinary characteristics that characterise the aromas, unmistakable freshness and longevity of the wines. The fall wind is the natural force that blows over the vineyard every day, positively influencing the climate and supporting the valuable work of the winegrowers at the cooperative winery.

Pinot Grigio is sometimes mass-produced in northern Italy. Millions of bottles, pale style, interchangeable. And then there is the Cantina Terlan, alongside a few other serious winegrowers. At 270 to 350 metres, on the gently sloping porphyry slopes around Terlan, the Ruländer – as its old, more appropriate name – tells a different story. Hand-picked, gentle pressing, slow fermentation in steel, 5–7 months on the fine lees: a vinification that gives the grape variety room to show itself.