Pinot gris and pinot grigio in Australia
A plain guide to pinot gris and pinot grigio in Australia: the grape, the two names, where it is grown and how to read a label, with a directory of producers checked against their own websites.
This is a free, non-commercial reference page. It is not affiliated with any winery or industry body listed here, a listing is not an endorsement or a ranking, and no wine is sold on this site. For information about alcohol and health, see the Australian Government Department of Health guidance at www.health.gov.au/topics/alcohol/about-alcohol/how-much-alcohol-is-safe-to-drink.
The guide
What the grape is, what the two names signal, where it grows in Australia, how it is made, and how to read a label.
One grape, two names
Pinot gris and pinot grigio are the same grape variety. Gris is French and grigio is Italian, and both mean grey, a reference to the grape's greyish to pinkish-red skin. As its name suggests, it belongs to the pinot family: Wine Companion describes pinot noir as its namesake, and it is widely described as a colour variant of pinot noir. Although the skins are coloured, it is made as a white wine.
What the name on the label signals
In Australia the name a winemaker chooses usually signals the style they were aiming for, not a different grape. Wine Australia describes pinot grigio as the brighter, lighter style with green apple flavours, and pinot gris as the style that leans more into aromatics and texture, with citrus, stone fruit and a fuller mouthfeel. Wine Australia also notes there are no hard and fast rules, so the convention is a guide rather than a requirement, and some producers make both.
Typical characters
Commonly described aromas and flavours include apple, pear, citrus and honeysuckle. Grigio-style wines are usually described as crisp, zesty and acid-driven; gris-style wines as richer and more textured, sometimes with spiced pear or honey notes. Individual wines vary with the site, the season and the winemaker's choices.
Where it is grown in Australia
Wine Australia lists Pinot Gris/Grigio among the main varieties grown in the King Valley (Victoria), the Mornington Peninsula (Victoria) and Tasmania, and notes that both the gris and grigio styles are produced in the King Valley. The Adelaide Hills (South Australia) is not singled out on Wine Australia's region pages, but many Adelaide Hills producers list a pinot gris or grigio, as the directory below shows. Wine Australia's own pinot grigio/gris collection also features wines from regions such as Riverina, Langhorne Creek, the Barossa Valley, the Limestone Coast, Orange, Frankland River and Padthaway.
How it is typically made
As a general pattern described by Wine Australia, Australian pinot grigio is typically cold-fermented in stainless steel to keep it fresh and fruit-focused, while pinot gris is often barrel-fermented to build texture. Timing of harvest matters too: one King Valley producer, Chrismont, describes picking early and fermenting cool in stainless steel for its grigio style. These are broad tendencies, and each producer's methods differ.
Serving and food
Like most white wines it is usually served chilled. Wine Australia describes Australian pinot grigio and gris as versatile with food. Wine Companion suggests fish and shellfish, semi-soft to firm cow's milk cheeses, and white meats as classic matches, with fuller gris styles suiting richer dishes. These are general suggestions only.
Reading the label
Look for the variety (and whether it says gris or grigio), the vintage year, and the region. Australian wine regions are protected as geographical indications (GIs), and Wine Australia maintains the Register of Protected GIs and Other Terms under the Wine Australia Act 2013. Wine Australia is the body responsible for wine labelling and GIs in Australia; check its labelling pages for the current rules on what a region, variety or vintage claim must mean. Note that the address of a winery and the region its grapes came from can differ, and some wines are blends of several regions or varieties.
Australian producers of pinot gris and pinot grigio
Wineries that list a pinot gris or pinot grigio on their own official website, grouped by region, plus national and regional wine bodies.
How this list was checked. Each winery was included only where its own website listed a pinot gris or pinot grigio when checked in October 2026. Ranges and vintages change, and a wine may sell out or be discontinued, so check the producer's site for current details.
What the list is not. The list is not complete, not a ranking and not a recommendation. Many other Australian producers make the variety. No prices are shown and nothing is sold here.
| Name | Location | Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henschke | Innes Vineyard, Adelaide Hills SA | www.henschke.com.au | Lists an Innes Vineyard Pinot Gris, labelled Adelaide Hills. |
| Petaluma | Adelaide Hills SA | petaluma.com.au | Lists a White Label Pinot Gris, Adelaide Hills. |
| Sidewood Estate | Hahndorf SA | sidewood.com.au | Lists a Sidewood Estate Pinot Gris, Adelaide Hills. |
| Bird in Hand | Woodside SA | www.birdinhand.com.au | Lists a Pinot Grigio, Adelaide Hills. |
| Chain of Ponds | Hahndorf SA | www.chainofponds.com.au | Lists Amelia's Letter Pinot Gris, Adelaide Hills. |
| Nepenthe | Balhannah SA | www.nepenthe.com.au | Lists an Altitude Pinot Gris, Adelaide Hills. |
| Pike & Joyce | Lenswood SA | pikeandjoyce.com.au | Lists a 'Beurre Bosc' Pinot Gris. |
| Name | Location | Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montalto | Mornington Peninsula VIC | montalto.com.au | Lists an Estate Pinot Gris and a Pennon Hill Pinot Gris, Mornington Peninsula. |
| Port Phillip Estate | Red Hill South VIC | www.portphillipestate.com.au | Lists a Quartier Pinot Gris, Mornington Peninsula. |
| Yabby Lake | Mornington Peninsula VIC | www.yabbylake.com | Lists a Red Claw Mornington Peninsula Pinot Gris. |
| Crittenden Wines | Mornington Peninsula VIC | www.crittendenwines.com.au | Lists a Peninsula Pinot Gris and a Pinocchio Pinot Grigio. |
| Quealy Winemakers | Balnarring VIC | quealy.com.au | Lists a Feri Maris Pinot Grigio. |
| Red Hill Estate | Main Ridge VIC | www.redhillestate.com.au | Lists a Cool Climate Pinot Grigio, described as a multi-region blend. |
| Name | Location | Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pizzini Wines | Whitfield VIC | www.pizzini.com.au | Lists an Attento Pinot Grigio, King Valley. |
| Sam Miranda | King Valley VIC | www.sammiranda.com.au | Lists a Pinot Grigio, King Valley. |
| Chrismont | Cheshunt VIC | www.chrismont.com.au | Its website describes a La Zona Pinot Grigio and a Pinot Gris. |
| Name | Location | Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josef Chromy Wines | Relbia TAS | www.josefchromy.com.au | Lists a Josef Chromy Pinot Gris, from the Tamar Valley and East Coast. |
| Holm Oak Vineyards | Rowella (Tamar Valley) TAS | www.holmoakvineyards.com.au | Lists a Pinot Gris. |
| Derwent Estate | Granton (Derwent Valley) TAS | www.derwentestate.com.au | Lists a Pinot Gris, Derwent Valley. |
| Devil's Corner | Apslawn (East Coast) TAS | www.devilscorner.com.au | Lists a Devil's Corner Pinot Grigio. |
| Name | Location | Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine Australia | National | www.wineaustralia.com | National wine sector body. Maintains the Register of Protected GIs and Other Terms and oversees wine labelling. |
| Adelaide Hills Wine Region | Balhannah SA | www.adelaidehillswine.com.au | Regional wine body for the Adelaide Hills, with member winery profiles. |
| Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association | Mornington Peninsula VIC | morningtonpeninsulawine.com.au | Describes itself as the peak industry body representing grape and wine producers of the Mornington Peninsula. |
| Wines of the King Valley | King Valley VIC | www.winesofthekingvalley.com.au | Regional wine website for the King Valley, with a page on pinot grigio and gris. |
| Wine Tasmania | Tasmania | winetasmania.com.au | Peak body for Tasmania's wine producers. |
Inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement. Links are to official websites as published at the time of checking.
Questions to ask when reading a label
Plain questions that help make sense of a pinot gris or pinot grigio label.
- Does it say gris or grigio?
- The name usually signals the intended style: grigio lighter and crisper, gris fuller and more textured. It is a convention, not a rule.
- Which region or GI is named?
- A named region tells you where the grapes were grown. Australian GIs are protected and registered by Wine Australia.
- Is the region on the label the same as the winery's address?
- A winery may be in one place and source grapes from another, and some wines are multi-region blends.
- What is the vintage year?
- The vintage is the year the grapes were harvested. Seasons differ, so two vintages of the same wine can taste different.
- Is it a single variety or a blend?
- Some wines blend pinot gris with other white varieties. The label or the producer's website will usually list them.
- Where can I check the current details?
- Producers update ranges and vintages often. The producer's own website is the best source, and Wine Australia publishes the labelling and GI rules.
About this page
pinotgris.com.au is a free, non-commercial reference page published by Radiant Life Distributors Pty Ltd, Adelaide. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Wine Australia, any regional wine body or any winery listed, and it does not sell wine or show prices. Information was checked against Wine Australia, regional wine body and producer websites in October 2026; ranges, vintages and rules can change, so confirm current details with the sources linked above.