“When I took my first sip from this glass, I was immediately charmed by the way the wine expressed itself,” said Riedel CEO Maximilian Riedel. “Bright and inviting with very specific fruit notes, balanced by lively acidity and that slight minerality we tend to find in only the best quality Pinot Grigio.”
Terlato’s Friuli Colli Orientali Pinot Grigio is the first Pinot Grigio to inspire its own glass from renowned glassmaker Riedel. The company developed a “Pinot Grigio” glass with a smaller mouth to enhance the wine’s clean flavor and a leaner bowl to capture its complex aromas. Produced in one of Riedel’s Bavarian factories, the glasses are created with custom-made molds and the highest- quality raw materials. The Pinot Grigio glass amplifies the experience of enjoying this variety. Elisabeth Terlato explains, “Now people are able to enjoy Pinot Grigio as it was meant to be.”
Why drink Pinot Grigio in a Riedel Terlato Friuli glass when you already have a half-dozen white wine glasses lounging in your cabinet? A varietal-specific glass is key for getting the most out of your Pinot Grigio. “There is such a wide spectrum of white wine, from light aromatic varieties with low alcohol to medium-weight wines with malolactic fermentation, oak aging, and much higher alcohol,” Riedel explained. “These various styles demand different-shaped glasses to fully express their character both aromatically and on the palate.”
The estate’s Pinot Grigio bottlings have consistently earned accolades from in-the-know tasters, scoring more than 90 points from authorities like Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and American wine critic Jeb Dunnuck.
The Friuli Colli Orientali, which in Italian translates to “eastern hills,” is among the most famous of the regions bearing the DOC classification. The rollicking landscape’s altitude swings from 350 to a towering 1,150 feet above sea level, but millions of years ago the Adriatic Sea stretched over this entire area, leaving behind layers of calcium-rich clay and sandstone. The resulting terroir is defined by a distinctive soil and, when combined with the region’s cool temperatures, it can produce wines with high levels of acidity. Translation: bottlings with crisp, tart flavor profiles.
Anthony Terlato famously knows his way around a good Pinot Grigio: In the late 1970s, he successfully transformed the U.S. wine-drinking landscape when he first introduced Americans to the varietal, singlehandedly creating the Pinot Grigio category in the American market and earning him the nickname “Father of Pinot Grigio.” It makes sense, then, that life would lead him and Terlato Vineyards to Friuli Colli Orientali.
“Over 40 years ago, my grandfather brought Pinot Grigio here from Italy, introducing Americans to a varietal that people now know and love so well.” says Elisabeth Terlato, Anthony Terlato’s granddaughter. “Today, my father Bill Terlato, has continued to excite the American consumer with this varietal from a new region, Friuli Colli Orientali.”
As a result, the Terlato Pinot Grigio from Friuli Colli Orientali inspired the team at Riedel to create the perfect Pinot Grigio wine glass. It is a partnership unlike any other, amplifying wine enthusiasts’ experience with Pinot Grigio, and appreciation for the wine. Check out the video below featuring Elisabeth Terlato and Maximilian Riedel!
This article is sponsored by Terlato Pinot Grigio.
