Wine

Cathal McBride: Rediscover the wonders of pinot grigio, the tiny grape with big taste

It has recently fallen under a cloud of mediocrity with mass-produced versions, but as International Pinot Grigio Day falls on May 17, spend a little extra to sample truly exciting wines

Pinot grigio: a greyish (hence ‘gris’ from French and ‘grigio’ from Italian), dark-skinned grape, its Italian version has become the most popular and recognised wine here

Pinot grigio (or pinot gris) is a most popular wine in Ireland, due to its light, easygoing freshness. It has, however, fallen under a cloud of mediocrity. Like countless other grapes, its market has become flooded with mass-produced expressions which skew the perception of this little wonder.

As International Pinot Grigio Day falls on May 17, it’s a fine time to explore it and see how spending a little bit extra can produce exciting results. ...