The beauty of Venice has been celebrated for centuries with its gothic architecture, alfresco cafes, and the gondoliers’ songs echoing through the canals. This part of Italy combines history, elegance, and a rich culture, with its famed wine acting as the perfect ambassador. Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC-certified wine will transport you across the ocean, all within your glass.
Wine-growing in this area has been traced to sometime between the 5th and 7th centuries B.C.; Venetian wine merchants sold the famed golden yellow wines throughout Europe. The region was a stop along the ancient maritime spice route linking the East to the West. During the Middle Ages, travelers brought grapevines from Macedonia and Anatolia.
While Pinot Grigio instantly makes you think of Italy, this grape actually hails from Burgundy. Originally known in France as Pinot Gris because of its grayish skin color — gris means gray — the varietal is believed to have traveled to Switzerland toward the end of the 1300s. The vines then made their way to Northern Italy and were renamed Pinot Grigio.
Italy’s Newest Certification
Formed in 2017, this Controlled Designation of Origin (DOC) is the newest and first multiregional DOC. The delle Venezie DOC brings together three regions under one standard of quality: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trento, and Veneto. This area of Northeast Italy, also known as the Triveneto, produces the freshest and fruitiest white wines known and appreciated worldwide. Covering almost 28,000 hectares of vineyards, Pinot Grigio, a cool climate grape, lives its best life here.
For a Pinot Grigio to earn the delle Venezie DOC certification from the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, the wine is tested by professional oenologist tasting commissions. To be labeled as “Pinot Grigio delle Venezie,” a bottle must contain at least 85 percent Pinot Grigio grapes. This requirement allows for a broader scope of individualized characteristics, essentially creating a unique “fingerprint” for each wine. It expands the potential expressions offered by the terroir, which encompasses the interplay of soil, environment, and human influence in viticultural and winemaking stylistic decisions.
The influence of a new generation of winemakers with an even greater commitment to the environment has also revolutionized Pinot Grigio delle Venezie. Combining technology and innovation, there is even more careful vineyard management; a more targeted use of water and other natural resources adds sustainability to the wines’ appeal.
Under the new delle Venezie DOC rules, wine production has been purposefully reduced, ensuring maximum quality. If a bottle has this official Italian government seal, know it’s a Pinot Grigio with the maximum expression of quality.
Terroir and Taste
Northern Italy provides the perfect microclimate to grow Pinot Grigio ripe with a concentration of flavor and mouthwatering acidity. The Dolomite mountains protect the vines from harsh northern winds. Breezes from Lake Garda and the Adriatic Sea regulate the ripening season, allowing Mother Nature and the delle Venezie DOC-certified winemakers to create the very best Pinot Grigio delle Venezie.
The flavors of Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC are influenced by the blend of limestone, gravel, and sandy soils. Highly concentrated flavors are enhanced by a rich minerality, and salinity adds complexity to these liquid beauties. With an alcohol content averaging around 11 percent ABV, any bottle of delle Venezie DOC Pinot Grigio is the best choice on the wine shop rack for lunch or dinner pairings.
Bubbling With Excitement
There are four vinification styles within the standards of the delle Venezie DOC: Pinot Grigio, Pinot Grigio Frizzante, Pinot Grigio Spumante, and, in much smaller amounts, Bianco. When you choose a bottle with the delle Venezie DOC seal, you’ll know the liquid inside is certified superior Pinot Grigio.
While we are most familiar with Pinot Grigio as a still wine, spumante and frizzante styles add extra fun and flavor — an excellent alternative to more common sparkling wines. Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC is a sophisticated way to enjoy the best the region has to offer.
Like Drinking Sunshine
Versatile and perfect for easy drinking, the bright fruit flavors you’ll taste with every sip include citrus, peach, pear, apples, and nectarine. Aromas of delicate white flowers, honey, honeysuckle, and almonds are all enhanced by a clean minerality and mouthwatering acidity. The mouthfeel is round and silky with a lean structure that will stand out but won’t overpower.
Perfect Pairings
Perhaps the most versatile of all white wines, enjoy with sushi or seafood pasta. The acidity holds its own with cream sauces and fattier fishes like salmon, swordfish, or tuna. Elevate fried food like fried chicken or fish at your next patio party. Vegetable chow mein on takeout nights or salty snacks on a couch night.
Light salads and more delicate meals are also perfect for Pinot Grigio. The flavors are understated yet concentrated. Above all else, the freshness comes through. Prepare that tried-and-true viral recipe of baked feta and cherry tomatoes to bring out the salinity in the wine.
Italian wines are intended to be enjoyed with good food, good people, and good conversation. Introduce your friends to Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC. Ask for it at the wine shop and get ready to celebrate National Pinot Grigio Day on May 17 and beyond.
This article is sponsored by Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC.
