All the medallists from the Global Pinot Gris Masters 2025

This chameleon-like grape variety is equally capable of creating crowd-pleasing quaffers and waxy, expressive fine wines. Patricia Stefanowicz MW reports.

It may be true that most wine people associate Pinot Grigio with an inexpensive white wine offered in pubs and in theatre bars as a light pre-performance drink. Pinot Grigio, in that guise, is white, light, uncomplicated and easy to drink.

But, as we judges discovered in this year’s Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris Masters, there is more to this seemingly simple variety than meets the eye, nose and palate. In this wide-ranging global tasting, there was an enticing group of wines with definition, bright fruit, purity and balance, mostly from the north of Italy, but with an interesting selection hailing from elsewhere.

The inexpensive, unoaked Pinot Grigios have peach, apple and creamy custard flavours, and good freshness, with orange, tangerine and lemon notes adding interest. The under-£10 wines seem best when dry or nearly dry, with balanced alcohol: these are easy-going, crowd-pleasing wines. A stand-out in this price bracket was Cavit’s Terrazze della Luna from Trentino, which has lime cordial and white pepper accents.

At £10–£15, there were quite a few excellent examples of pure Pinot Grigio from the Veneto, Trentino and Alto-Adige in the north-central zone of Italy, and from Friuli and Collio in the far northeast. The New World came into its own here too, with good expressions from Australia and New Zealand. A Gold medal winner worth seeking out is De Bortoli’s Willowglen from Australia’s Riverina, in which a bit of Riesling adds zip and dried apricot flavour.

Above £15, the unoaked wines seemed more consistent, with many garnering Silvers or Golds. Pizzini’s Pavona from high-altitude King Valley in Australia, Nals Margreid’s Alto Adige Hill vineyard in Italy and a pair of classic Albert Seltz Pinot Gris wines from Mittelbergheim in Alsace would make great Gold partners for a number of dishes.

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Reasonably priced

The oaked white Pinot Gris were sometimes reasonably priced and, even under £15, all were deserving of Silver or Gold medals. Special mention goes to Weingut Krispel, based in the midst of the basalt soils of Vulkanland in Austria’s Steiermark, whose Straden and Ried Neusetzberg Grauburgunders both achieved Golds thanks to the beautifully judged use of creamy, gently toasty oak. At the expensive end of the spectrum, at around £30, our Grand Master was La Roncaia’s gorgeous Pinot Grigio from Friuli Colli Orientali.

Rosé Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio is a category still searching for its identity. We only had a few wines in this pink group, so it’s hard to pass judgment. However, the wines we judged show potential in Australia, New Zealand, and, of course, in the northern parts of Italy. Above £15, the unoaked wines seemed more consistent, with many garnering Silvers or Golds.

In summarising, Jonathan Pedley MW noted that it is possible to make good to excellent Pinot Gris wines in different styles: crisp, lively and “appley”; juicy, ripe and “melony”; late harvest, botrytised; or oaked and waxy. “With high-quality fruit and good winemaking, Pinot Gris can make successful wines in all four styles,” he concludes.

Unoaked 100% Pinot Gris/Grigio

Unoaked 100% Pinot Gris/Grigio Rosé

Oaked 100% Pinot Gris/Grigio

Oaked 100% Pinot Gris/Grigio Rosé

Unoaked Pinot Gris/Grigio Blend

Unoaked Pinot Gris/Grigio Rosé Blend

Oaked Pinot Gris/Grigio Blend

About the competition

With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Global Pinot Gris Masters provides a chance for your wines to shine. The 2025 competition was judged on 11 June at Cornus in London, employing experienced judges. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolades – Pinot Gris Master or Grand Master. This report features medal winners only. Please visit the Global Masters website for more information or, to enter future competitions, with a chance to appear in print and online, call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com