Pinot gris/grigio sales: a gregional perspective

Wines & Vines, Jan, 2003 by Tina Caputo

In the June 2001 issue of Wines & Vines, Larry Walker predicted that Pinot gris (also known as Pinot grigio) would emerge as the next hot varietal" in the United States. Turns out he was right. It is now the second highest dollar sales varietal white wine in the U.S., according to InfoScan Wine Update, taking the place of Sauvignon blanc. (Chardonnay is still holding on at No. 1.) In 2001, the Pinot gris category was up 48% in dollar sales and up 52% in volume sales over the same period in 2000.

This increase is due mainly to the surge in popularity of Italian Pinot grigio. Surpassing Merlot and Chardonnay imports, Pinot grigia is now the No. 1 imported wine grape type in the U.S., according to the 2002 edition of The U.S. Wine Market: Impact Databank Review and Forecast. Consumption of Italian Pinot grigio jumped 39% to 5 million cases in 2001--accounting for 11% of total imported table wine consumption in the U.S.--and Impact predicts that more than 6 million cases will be sold before 2002 is over.

Spurred by this success, U.S. growers increased their Pinot gris plantings from 140 acres in 1997 to 1,241 acres in 2001, according to the California Agricultural Statistics Service and the U.S. Wine Market Report. The 2002 Wines & Vines varietal chart (in our December 2002 issue) shows that there are now more than 145 Pinot gris producers in the U.S.

Of the Italian producers, Gallo-owned Ecco Domani was one of the fastest-growing brands in 2001. According to Tim McDonald, director of marketing and fine wine communications for Gallo of Sonoma, Ecco Domani produced about 300,000 cases of Pinot grigio last year, while Bella Sera-another Italian brand owned by Gallo--produced twice that amount. "Pinot grigio is the hottest new thing," he said.

Back in California, Gallo of Sonoma produced 30,000 cases of Pinot gris in 2001, more than double the amount the company made in 2000. Though Gallo sells more grigio than gris, McDonald said he believes Gallo of Sonoma will increase its Pinot gris production in 2003. "Pinot grigio is more popular (than Pinot gris) because it's been around longer," he explained. "People know it. But Gina Gallo likes making Pinot gris, and the Gallo family likes it, so I think they're going to keep making it for years to come. It's such a food friendly wine--just tell me, what white wine goes better with food?"

Oregon's King Estate winery--one of the largest and most successful Pinot gris producers in the U.S.--has a similar focus on the wine's food affinity. Since the winery began making Pinot gris in 1992, its production has increased from 3,000 cases to 60,000.

According to Miles Johnson, director of marketing and public relations for King Estate, the winery has seen a 15% sales growth in Pinot gris since 2001. Johnson said he attributes this increase to the wine's fruit-forward style, consistent quality--and the company's food-focused marketing efforts.

"We promote Pinot gris thorough campaigns like our 'So Very A-Gris-Able' food and wine retail POS and we focus on restaurant distribution to help the consumers understand the potential of Pinot gris with many different styles of cuisine," he said.

Regional Differences

So who is buying all this Pinot gris and Pinot grigio? Are New Yorkers drinking as much of it as Californians? To find out, I asked wine merchants across the country to speak out about their sales. Not surprisingly, reports differed widely from region to region, though most retailers agreed that Pinot gris and Pinot grigio sales are on the rise.

Haskell's Minneapolis, Minn.

According to wine buyer Mitch Spencer, Haskell's has seen a "dramatic" sales increase for the Pinot gris category. "Our increase in Pinot gris and Pinot grigio sales in the last two years is probably up 30%," he said. "We used to have three varieties of Pinot griglo or Pinot gris on sale, and now we have 35 or 40--all different kinds. It is probably one of the largest growing grape varieties currently out there."

During May 2002--a sale month--Spencer said Haskell's sold 11,000 bottles of Pinot gris/grigio compared with almost 5,000 bottles in October. "That tells me that in the springtime everyone associates Pinot grigio and Pinot gris with a real nice, light white for outdoor activities. (The wines have) a lot of food applications with cheeses, salads and everything like that."

Aside from the refreshing character and food friendliness of the wines, Spencer attributes their increased popularity to the "anything-but-Chardonnay attitude" of American wine drinkers. "I think it's a nice aperitif wine for people who don't want a real heavy, oaky-style white wine," he said. "And I think that people tried Sauvignon blanc after they got sick of Chardonnay, and they were looking for something else. Viognier seemed to be difficult because of the tropical flavor, but the Pinot gris has that crisp, somewhat fruity character."

Though Spencer said his Pinot gris sales are increasing, it's the Pinot grigio that has really taken off. This is mainly due to the difference in price-points. "I think the Italian Pinot grigios are selling twice as fast as the American or French versions," Spencer said. "There are a lot of wonderful Pinot grigios between $5 and $10 a bottle, but the Pinot gris wines tend to be $10 and up, closer to the $12 or $13 category. I think that's half the reason why Pinot grigio is so popular because, in sales around the country, you can buy it for $5 to $7 a bottle."