Pinot Grigio, a white wine variety, has a very smooth and pleasant flavour and goes particularly well with mushrooms
Image gallery: South Tyrolean Pinot gris
South Tyrolean Pinot gris, also called Ruländer or Pinot Grigio, belongs to the white grape varieties even though the skin of its berries is bright red with slight grey reflexes. It was first mentioned in the 14th century in the French regions of Burgundy and Champagne. From there, this mutant clone of the Pinot noir variety was brought to Germany, and in 1375 also to Lake Balaton in Hungary by Charles VI. At the same time, Cistercian monks took the white grape variety from France to Austria. South Tyrolean Pinot gris needs a warm climate and a lot of sunshine to thrive well.
The vine requires a deep, rich, fresh and humid soil. It is an early-budding grape and therefore the risk of damage from springtime frost is rather high, but it can withstand well winter frost. The wines produced from South Tyrolean Pinot gris grapes are straw yellow in colour, full-bodied, a bit viscous and are therefore popular dessert wines. They have aromas of pears and meadow flowers, whereas aged Pinot gris can have a bouquet of honey and nuts. It goes particularly well with mushrooms, fish, oysters and other seafood.
Serving temperature: 11 to 13 degrees C
