What food goes with Pinot Grigio?
The best foods for Pinot Grigio
Shrimp and light shellfish
This is the classic: Pinot Grigio's lemony acidity and light body flatter shrimp, prawns and scallops without masking their natural sweetness.
White fish
Delicate fish like sole, cod and sea bass match the weight of the wine exactly, and its citrus edge works like a squeeze of lemon.
Sushi and sashimi
The crisp acidity and clean, low-alcohol profile cut through raw fish and rice while staying out of the way of subtle flavours.
Light seafood pasta and risotto
Linguine with clams, shrimp linguine and lemon risotto suit Pinot Grigio far better than heavy cream sauces do.
Fresh, soft cheeses
Mozzarella, goat cheese and feta, served with antipasti or a salad, echo the freshness of the wine without overwhelming it.
What is Pinot Grigio?
Pinot Grigio is a dry white that is light-bodied, high in acidity and almost always unoaked, with no tannin. Expect crisp flavours of lemon, green apple, pear and white peach, with a saline or faintly almond finish. Most bottles are the lean, zesty Italian style from the north of the country; the same grape, called Pinot Gris in France's Alsace, is made richer and rounder there.
Why these pairings work
Pinot Grigio works best with light food because the wine itself is light: low in alcohol, high in acidity and free of oak, it has no weight to spare for rich, heavy plates. Its role at the table is to refresh, so it shines next to seafood, delicate fish and simple vegetable or cheese dishes, keeping them bright rather than covering them up. Serve it with something subtle and it lifts the plate; pour it beside steak, curry or a cream sauce and the wine simply disappears.
Grappi profiles Pinot Grigio by body, acidity and oak, then matches it against a reference of 185,000 wines to score each pairing out of 100.
Serving tips
- Serve Pinot Grigio well chilled at 7-10C; any warmer and its delicate citrus and crisp edge fall flat.
- Reach for it with anything you would squeeze lemon over, from fried calamari to grilled white fish, and skip it with red meat or heavy cream.
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