Pino Grigio in California

Pinot grigio in California is one of the wine varietals popular among Californian wine makers. Over 18 wineries in this region offer the pinot grigio and the fact with many of them is their first venture with the pinot grigio varietals. Also known as pinot gris, this wine species of white wine grape belongs to the vinis vitifera, a mutant clone of pinot noir. This grayish blue fruit (gris means gray) is widely grown in the vineyards of California and sometimes, it has a brownish pink to white appearance. Pinot grigio wines refer to the “pinecone” in French and this is because of the shape of the grape clusters.

Wines made from pinot grigio grapes are arranged in special wine baskets for gifting friends and family members. The wine varies from copper to golden yellow and sometimes a tinge of pink is also visible. The specialty of Californian winemakers is that they have enologists and viticulturists with advanced skills, for preparing the best chardonnay available. Panels of wine tasters have certified the pinot grigio in California from very good to outstanding categories. In fact, experts are amazed at the sheer excellence of wines coming from a place that lacks in previous experience in preparing pinot grigio and with scanty information on the domestic front.

All varieties of pinot grigio in California are manifested with aroma, flavor, texture, balance and feel. These wines are expressive and at times hint at an excess of flavor, although this is never overdone. Pinot grigio wines in California are softer than a lot of Sauvignon Blanc varieties and do not have that oak taste like the California Chardonnay. Wine makers here don’t put the cabernet through a malo lactic fermentation, though they are often marked by a creamy look, identical to custard, while at the same time retaining the dual properties of freshness and brightness on your palate.

Food to Complement Pinot Grigio

Pinot grigio in California comes in various flavors that are both engaging as well as complex and effectively complement a wide variety of food stuffs. Some of the foods with which you can try the Californian merlot wine are the following:

• Mussels
• Antipasto in light tomato, white wine sauce and basil
• Tom Kha Gai or Thai coconut chicken soup
• Grilled chicken soup
• Linguini with white clam sauce
• Grilled chicken breast with beurre blanc

Whatever type of light dish it is, pinot grigio grapes taste equally fine with various kinds of Asian foodstuff or light dishes.

Guard against the Italian imported varieties as the quality is not consistent. This is one aspect in which you can trust the pinot grigio in California as the wine makers here are still new to this type of grape and that is why the focus is more on quality.

The first pinot grigio in California was planted in 1966 when attracting the market was tough until salmon traders were available. The popularity of pinot gris has grown since the mid 1990s, with fields spanning over 1600 acres.