Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera.   The word pinot could have been given to it because the grapes grow in small pine cone-shaped clusters.  Pinot Grigio has been known since the Middle Ages in the Burgundy region, where it was probably called Fromenteau.  It spread from Burgundy, along with Pinot Noir, arriving in Switzerland by 1300. The first American Pinot Grigio grape was planted in Oregon in 1965. They grow best in cool climates, and matures early with high sugar levels.