Pinot Grigio imports

[Kcwhippet]

Saw an interesting report yesterday that states Pinot Grigio now holds the distinction of being the highest volume of any imported wine, at about 12%. Now, I've tried Pinot Grigio many times and I've yet to find one I like enough to buy again. They've usually been very light, insipid wines, at least to my palate. On the other hand, here aren't any Oregon Pinot Gris that I don't like.

[Innkeeper]

The 2000 Ritratti ($15) at Is-Wine and elsewhere, will change your mind.

[hotwine]

So will the Tommasi. Superbly crafted juice.

[Botafogo]

Them guys is right, BUT, for the same money or less you can get outstanding examples of more intersting varietals like Arneis, tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla or Falanghina....

The scary part about that story is that a HUGE percentage of that is those guys in Chicago turning $3 bottles of Santa Marg-a-Whatta into $18 bottles....

Roberto

[Kcwhippet]

Now you're talking. We do like Arneis and Tocai Friulano. I look for the Ritratta and Tommasi and give the PG another try.

[joeyz6]

I like Pinot Grigio, especially with pasta dishes.
Roberto, you are so right about the Santa Margharita. That stuff is EVERYWHERE in Chicago, and it is usually not a bargain. When I bought it I found it for $14.99 at a grocery store ... It's just mediocre, certainly not worth a price in the high teens (sometimes more). I guess people are willing to pay for the pretty label.

[wondersofwine]

Pinot Grigio is not one of my favorite varietals. I did have one I enjoyed as an aperitif and neglected to get the name.
However, a friend of mine who used to distribute beer is now distributing for Gallo. He admits to knowing almost nothing about wine (he will learn and has friends at the retail locations to aid him). He told me that the Pinot Grigio has been a popular brand lately and I informed him that Pinot Grigio is not a brand but a grape! I also asked him if he could get Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel since Rancho Zabaco is a Gallo brand. He said if they don't already carry it locally, I'm out of luck. Hmmm.

[Kcwhippet]

Sounds like your friend has a LOT to learn about wine. I thought they put those folks through their MDP program.

[scimmiatinit]

About Santa Margherita I guess there is a sort of speculation in the U.S. on its PG...
I think there is a speculation in general on Pinot Grigio around the States...
In Italy Santa Margherita PG is still sold and considered as a cheap wine (around 4-5 US$ in the wine stores), and this price can be interesting at that quality...
Fabio

[Botafogo]

And, conversely, we can sell outstanding Tocai Friulano from Livon or Caccese, killer Arneis from Abbona or Brovia or wonderful Verdicchio from Bucci (all of which sell for a lot more than SMPG in Italy) for 25-40% LESS than the Santa Margharita and wines of comparable quality to it like Tenuta Soletta Vermentino di Sardegna or Saladini Pilastri Falerio for a LOT less.

Roberto

[joeyz6]

Now for $5, that would be a different story ...

[Innkeeper]

Found some Ritratti PG at the Bangor Sam's Club this morning for $11.99. Very good price. KC and others, look for it in your local Sam's.

[Thomas]

Geez, how the Hell can they do that? That retail price at Sam's Club for Ritratti PG ain't much higher than what I have to pay for the wine--wholesale--in New York.

I gotta find a job. This stuff is going to put me out of business.



[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 12-18-2002).]

[Botafogo]

Foodie, we are at $10.99 and with an OK margin... You've got to beat on the vendors with a bigger stick!

Roberto

[Thomas]

Roberto, the small vendors in NYCity area take from 30 to 40% for themselves. This is an expensive market. Unless a store (like Garnet) buys in massive volume, there are no good deals.

This is why is-wine is shifting to importing its own products.

[stevebody]

Pinot Grigio is becoming the white of choice to replace Chardonnay with those people who habitually drank Chard for twenty+ years and have finally (Thank You, Jesus) gotten sick of it. Unfortunately, the wimpy baseline PG from the likes of Fontana Candida and Cantina Tolo have, by their larger presence, become the new "Mistake wine" - a wine that's so readily available that people never think to taste anything better. Sorta like Kendall Jackson Chardonnay (or the whole K-J line, for that matter). Tiefenbrunner makes a transcendent little PG at a great price but nobody tries it because of their dorky, Germanic name and some funny words like Alto Adige on the bottle. Ditto about half a dozen other of the better ones. I agree totally, though, about the Arneis, not to mention that consistently dazzling Greco Di Tufo from Feudi di San Gregorio, the beautiful Falesco Est!Est!Est!, and esapecially, My Lord!, the Botromagno Gravina, a 60/40 Greco/Malvasia blend that costs about $6 and will make you swoon. Italian whites are the most overlooked, misunderstood items I sell and this PG mania is actually hurting the other whites, since we Yankee dorks naturally assume that the most widely-known Italian white has to be the best. I, too, think the Oregon Grises are a cut above a lot of the Italians, and that's stunning to me to like ANYTHING out of The Land of the Burgundian Wannabes. This is just like the K-J habituation: until wine salespeople agressively POUR wines that beat their customers' knee-jerk choices crap wine will sell. Period.

[stevebody]

Pinot Grigio is becoming the white of choice to replace Chardonnay with those people who habitually drank Chard for twenty+ years and have finally (Thank You, Jesus) gotten sick of it. Unfortunately, the wimpy baseline PG from the likes of Fontana Candida and Cantina Tolo have, by their larger presence, become the new "Mistake wine" - a wine that's so readily available that people never think to taste anything better. Sorta like Kendall Jackson Chardonnay (or the whole K-J line, for that matter). Tiefenbrunner makes a transcendent little PG at a great price but nobody tries it because of their dorky, Germanic name and some funny words like Alto Adige on the bottle. Ditto about half a dozen other of the better ones. I agree totally, though, about the Arneis, not to mention that consistently dazzling Greco Di Tufo from Feudi di San Gregorio, the beautiful Falesco Est!Est!Est!, and esapecially, My Lord!, the Botromagno Gravina, a 60/40 Greco/Malvasia blend that costs about $6 and will make you swoon. Italian whites are the most overlooked, misunderstood items I sell and this PG mania is actually hurting the other whites, since we Yankee dorks naturally assume that the most widely-known Italian white has to be the best. I, too, think the Oregon Grises are a cut above a lot of the Italians, and that's stunning to me to like ANYTHING out of The Land of the Burgundian Wannabes. This is just like the K-J habituation: until wine salespeople agressively POUR wines that beat their customers' knee-jerk choices, crap wine will sell. Period.

[scimmiatinit]

I agree (more or less) about all the wines You mentioned exept for the Greco di Tufo di Feudi di San Gregorio which is a good white wine but not a typical Greco di Tufo !

Fabio

[wondersofwine]

I've only had one Pinot Grigio I really kind of liked, and I neglected to ask the brand name on it. Will just go on ordering other whites unless I stumble across one I like again.

[jenash]

hello, i have had great success with imported (such as italian) pinot grigio. all pinot grigio are somewhat light and dry so i am not sure you will find what you are looking for.