Grigio? Gris?

摘要

IT'S schizophrenic, it's a mutant, it's a grape variety. And it's called Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio, depending on where you live or what you drink. Pinot Noir is a genetically unstable variety and has given rise to a host of different clones, as well as the two pale coloured variants we call Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Gris is the French word for grey and Grigio the Italian equivalent. This gives a clue to the colour of the grape—a bronze-grey colour, even a bit pink, which sometimes finds its way into the wine. The variety has inherited some of its parent's traits —a soft, round palate with quite a viscous, silky feel and a tendency towards low acidity, unless it's grown in a cold area. Acidity is the main key to its split personality. Pinot Grigio is widely grown in northern Italy, particularly in the regions of Trentino and Veneto. Here, winemakers are concerned about loss of acidity and pick the fruit quite early, making wines of 11.5 to 12.5 per cent alcohol. The result is a relatively neutral, medium bodied white which for many people lacks distinctive fruit, but which does fit the generalised Italian white style of non-assertive flavour.