The ‘Pinot Gris’ is a French cultivar of the grape, which has a large number of different appearances. This grape is also known under the names Pinot Grigio, malvoisie, grauburgunder, ruländer and szürkebarát. The fruits of this variety naturally have a lot of sugar and relatively few acids. For this reason it is preferably grown in cooler regions. Dull sweetish wines often develop in warm regions. The skins contain little dye so that the wines can be white or at most rosé colored.
In cool areas, the growth of the grapes is not always without problems. The ‘Pinot Gris’ has compact trusses, which makes the species vulnerable to rotting, especially if rainwater is trapped between the fruits. Autumn rains are therefore feared by the growers of ‘Pinot Gris’, with the result that many pick the grape fairly early. Aromatically, the grapes have not yet fully developed, resulting in more neutral wines. In Alsace, the grape is preferably harvested as late as possible as Vendange Tardive. That is why this variety from that area often has a mild to sweet taste. Pinot Grigio wines from Italy are often drier, lighter and fresh with a mineral character.
Source: Wikipedia
