Wine correspondent Peter Saunders looks at the impact and perception of a variety barely planted 10 years ago in New Zealand

Pinot gris, popular and becoming famous as the follow-on to New Zealand sauvignon blanc, has a long pedigree and is known throughout the world by as many as a dozen different names. Pinot grigio in Italy, Rülander in Germany; pinot gris is grown from Luxembourg to Romania, Australia and New Zealand. Although a mutation, a derivative of pinot noir, pinot gris seems to thrive wherever grape varieties grow, perhaps in this sense a parallel to chardonnay but in contrast to its more fussy parent, pinot noir.
Few wine lovers know the grape’s parentage, but many enjoy a fashionable style of wine, which is not regarded as demanding in most countries, yet is taken more seriously in New Zealand. In Italy the style is generally light and verging on thin, seeking some substance to give it spine. In France (Alsace) the same variety gives bolder, more structured wines with greater body when well made.
Australia actually uses the Italian name for their lighter style and the Alsace name for the bigger styles but this is not a trend followed in New Zealand. In fact there is no ‘typical’ New Zealand pinot gris; some are given old oak maturation, some a proportion of new oak and many don’t see outside of a stainless steel tank until they are bottled.
This lack of consistent handling of course is not untypical of winemaking in New Zealand especially; chardonnay also sees a varied level of oak handling from zero to 100 per cent, from fermentation to maturation, oak barrels in varying sizes and ages – and of course there are different clones which put another impact on the final wine style.
Pinot gris however, has taken some of the glow off chardonnay, essentially for no reason but that it gives us all a change from what was a regular companion to anything from seafood to veal and poultry courses. There is nothing in that broad list that pinot gris won’t handle either. This is a very accommodating grape variety.
This is not to dismiss it as unserious. There is a wide market for all-purpose wines as sauvignon blanc has proven and this suits us well in the hospitality industry. No specific food for specific wines as far as these varieties are concerned. And there is a time of day and a type of meal when ‘no fuss’ is an asset. Welcome pinot gris.
Yet there are the more serious styles, no less accommodating in terms of food but just with a louder voice, something more to say. This is where New Zealand does well against some of the lighter styles of the world; New Zealand has light too but also has a share of more serious wines like Porters and the Escarpment as random examples, dry and quite intense.
Yet with customers who have had their dry and intense day already, sitting down to an easy-drinking pinot gris fits perfectly. Every bottle of wine does not have to be an examination of the wine industry. The discussion is on sport, the kids, the business and politics, so an easy-drinking style is just right. Many pinot gris fit well.
So the wines available are balanced, as always; some fuller and more serious and some lighter, relaxing no-fuss styles. That definition will give a price range also. Those winemakers who take the variety seriously may be looking for an extra dollar and need it with low yields and tender-care handling.
Some may not, happy to go with the flow of a variety which is in vogue, takes little fuss to produce and which thrives in New Zealand conditions.
The spectrum of pinot gris is wide, the interest is high and if New Zealand can do it properly, this is a variety which can be a big success story. After all, the largest variety imported into the United States right now is Italian pinot gris – and when we taste most, we know we can do better. Grigio as a name is not a licence for success.
What is successful is clean, alive and flavoursome wines that fit into a meal like a good referee slips unnoticed into a game of rugby. Currently, pinot gris is a name to have on the bottle at many tables as well. These are two issues; a popular, fashionable variety, and the ability to fit in so well with so many foods as well as a wide range of people.
Passing fad? Maybe, yet this may settle as a staple diet for many New Zealand wine drinkers for the reasons of wide appeal and drinkability. Yes, there may be another grape variety fad or style to follow, but pinot gris will remain as a dependable style for those days and dinners when the expectations from the wine are straight forward.
We can do that here, with pinot gris and gutsy and serious as well.

Click here to download the Pinot Gris tasting notes from Thirst August 2010.