When Is A Pinot Grigio Not A Pinot Grigio?
Sometimes When It Is A Pinot Grigio.

Remember back in the day, when pinot grigio used taste like a pinot grigio and a pinot gris like a pinot gris? Now, who knows what you’re going to get.

For the uninitiated, pinot grigio and pinot gris are Italian and French, respectively, for the same grape, pinot “gray,” if you will. The pinot grigio/gris grape trends toward the light side and tends to be high in acidity. Their differences lies in the style they’re made. A wine made in a pinot grigio style will emphasize tart acidity and lemony fruit. A pinot gris-ish wine will have a little more body and more slate-like, orange-lime, nutmeg-cinnamon qualities.

With summer approaching, both styles should be hopping in your shopping cart. My problem is that it is getting hard to tell which is which. A lot of pinot grigios from Italy (labeled pinot grigio, naturally) are tasting like the pinot gris you expect from France, Washington and Oregon. Even California—home to many pinot grigio-styled pinot grigios—are making wines labeled “pinot grigio,” but they seem to have more in common the slatey, orangy, pineappley pinot gris-style wines.

So, you may ask: “How do I tell the difference?”

And I may answer: “You’re on your own.”

As best as I can tell, a pinot grigio priced closer to $20 will likely be more like a pinot gris. Of course, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio from Italy costs about $25 and tastes like a pinot grigio, but the 2007 Cosentino Winery Pinot Grigio from California ($20) tastes like a pinot gris. Go figure.

2007 Cosentino Winery Pinot Grigio, Solano County, Calif.

• $20

• Two Thumbs Up

• Not overwhelmingly acidic with flavors of fresh, ripe fruit, notes of peach, rosewater, nutmeg, cinnamon and a lovely mineral quality.