Varietal Classics: Pinot Grigio
2014: Gold: 3; Silver: 0; Bronze: 2; Commended: 3
2013: Gold: 1; Silver: 1; Bronze: 2
Must-list index: 95%
Overall performance SWA 2014: B-
Hands up, who loves Pinot Grigio? OK… not so many of you. Let’s try this. Hands up, who loves watching the money roll in at the end of the night?
Well, inconvenient truth it may be, but much of the latter is related to the former. Sommeliers might have to list (and sell) it through gritted teeth, but the numbers don’t lie. The British public still loves The Gridge. Damn them…
There was very little that was offensive here this year. And the feedback from the tasters was certainly better than it was a couple of years ago, when our teams finished the flight looking like they’d just had root canal surgery without an anaesthetic. It was just that so much of it was a bit, well, boring…
That said, the three Golds were genuinely good. And very different in style, from the PG lightness of the Cavit through the richer Mezzacorona to the Gris style of the Tinpot Hut.
‘There were floral, delicate, light and richer styles in the medal winners, so this gave us the possibility of having lighter aperitif styles listed and a fuller style that had enough character to match with food,’ said consultant Simon Cassina. ‘They were really attractive wines.’
From the Tasting Teams
‘There were lots of similar wines here, but not much that stood out quality-wise.’ Joao Ribeiro, Galvin Restaurants
‘There can be a couple of Pinot Grigios on the list, but I don’t think it’s a must stock any more – it’s on the way out – going the same way as Zin rosé and Soave.’ Charles Pashby-Taylor, Dabbous
‘You have a good opportunity with Pinot Grigio, a little like Chablis, to educate customers. Because they recognise and order the wine, you can list different styles at different price points and play with these styles.’ Xavier Chapelou, consultant
‘Pinot Grigio is like rodent control, no one wants to talk about it, but everyone needs it…’ Simon Woods
FOOTNOTE: The price limit for the Varietal Classics categories is £12 ex-VAT