A Tasty Italian Tour with Lucio’s Marina
Tony (Antonio) Cox unleashes his inner Italian to prepare for a tasty tour of Italian Pinot Grigio!
If there’s one think that Matteo Galletto of Lucio’s Marina Restaurant & Bar loves more than Italian food, it’s Italian wine – and in particular, Italian Pinot Grigio.
As he prepares to choose his favourite drops for our upcoming wine lunch, let’s go on a tasty tour of this grape variety and the regional influences that determine what goes in the bottle.
Pinot Grigio, which literally translates as pinot ‘grey’, and has found a home in northeast Italy in a couple of different regions making varying styles.
Named because when ripened the grapes are a burgundy/pinkish/light purple colour they are neither ‘white grapes’ nor ‘black grapes’. The wines produced can also vary significantly from pale yellow through to copper and even into pink.
Three key denominations in northeast Italy, Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, produce differing styles based around a combination of terroir and winemaking styles.
Alto Adige is located in the Alpine Valleys to the north of Lake Garda in an area known as the Sud-Tyrol, as Austrian/Germanic influences come to the fore. Grown at altitudes that can reach 1200 metres above sea level, the key feature of this style is pear fruits with a touch of mid-palate texture framed by crisp acidity – an ideal accompaniment to fresh, whole trout found in the lakes and streams.
By contrast the majority of pinot grigio labelled simply Veneto is from flatter areas, quite often cropped higher, producing a fairly neutral, creamy style with a clean finish. These drops are a great lunch staple, especially with seafood and often offer great value for money.
Friuli-Venezia-Giulia lies on the eastern-most section, hard up against the Slovenian border and produces the most divergent styles of the three regions. Think texture and skin contact, which can give copper-coloured wines (known as ramato), all the way back to delicate, dry refreshing wines and everywhere in between, it is an area that doesn’t have a homogenous style which makes for an interesting exploration.
These are just some of the regions to be considered as part of Lucio’s Italian Pinot Grigio Taste Tour wine lunch showcasing pinot grigio in all of its guises.
For Matteo, his love of Italian pinot grigio lies in its versatility and range.
“Each region of Italy produces different styles of pinot grigio,” he said. “From light and crisp varieties to more structured drops that have Riesling, rose or chardonnay tendencies, there is such richness to discover.
“I also like to explore the new-wave orange style which has minimal interference and is more biodynamic with increased skin contact.
“For the wine lunch, we will be exploring various Italian Pinot Grigio wines side by side as we explore the different regions of Italy and the styles that they produce. I have even sourced a delightfully sticky dessert wine that will end the event on a sweet note!”
The taste tour or all things Italian Pinot Grigio will be accompanied by stellar dishes prepared by Head Chef Alberto Vitassovich starting with elegant Italian snacks and ending with dolce (dessert) for what promises to be an engaging, entertaining and enlightening afternoon of all things Italian on the Noosa River – what’s not to love?!
BOOK NOW!
Italian Pinot Grigio Taste Tour
4 courses with a fun and tasty tour of Pinot Grigio from different regions of Italy.
Friday 20 October, 12noon
$110 per person.
Bookings Essential!
Phone 5470 2331
