How to pronounce Pinot Gris

What is Pinot Gris?

A white grape variety with greyish-pink skins, a mutation of Pinot Noir grown widely in Alsace, northern Italy (as Pinot Grigio), Oregon, and New Zealand. In Alsace it produces rich, full-bodied wines; in Italy it yields lighter, crisper styles.

Pinot Gris is a color mutation of Pinot Noir. Gris is French for gray, a reference to the grayish-pink skin of the ripe berries, which can range from blue-gray to pinkish-brown. The grape is treated as a white variety, although the wines can run from deep golden yellow to copper. It has been known in Burgundy since the Middle Ages.

Its French home is Alsace (al-ZASS), where it counts as one of the four noble varieties alongside Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muscat. Alsace Pinot Gris is typically medium to full-bodied, with a rich, spicy character, and it often carries some residual sugar. Until 2007 it could be labeled Tokay Pinot Gris, a name phased out to avoid confusion with Hungarian Tokaji.

The same grape appears under other names: Pinot Grigio in Italy, Grauburgunder or Ruländer in Germany, and Szürkebarát in Hungary. In the United States it is closely tied to Oregon, where David Lett of Eyrie Vineyards planted the first American Pinot Gris vines in 1965. Oregon versions are usually medium-bodied, with pear, apple and melon aromas.

Pinot Gris, syllable by syllable

Why Pinot Gris is hard to say

French spelling keeps many final consonants that speech dropped long ago. A single t or s at the end of a word is normally silent, so Pinot ends in oh and Gris ends in ee. The same rule gives Merlot (mer-LOH) and Pinot Noir (PEE-noh NWAR). English readers tend to sound every written letter, which is why the name is often heard with a final s.

French also places its stress at the end of a phrase, not on a fixed syllable of each word. In Pinot Gris the main weight therefore lands on GREE, the last syllable. English speakers usually keep that pattern and add a lighter beat on PEE, so the French way and the everyday English way sit close together. The main difference is the French r, made at the back of the throat, and an English r is fine.

Tips for saying it

How to order Pinot Gris

Say the two words evenly and end on the vowel: PEE-noh GREE. You do not need a French accent, and a version with a sounded s will still be understood by staff. Adding the place helps more than perfecting the r, because Alsace, Oregon and New Zealand bottles differ in body and sweetness.

• “I'll have a glass of the Pinot Gris, please.” The everyday restaurant order.
• “Is this Alsace Pinot Gris dry or off-dry?” A useful question, since sweetness varies by producer.

Names often confused with Pinot Gris

• Pinot Grigio (PEE-noh GREE-joh): The Italian name for the same grape, with one more syllable and usually a lighter, crisper wine in the bottle.
• Pinot Noir (PEE-noh NWAR): The red grape that Pinot Gris mutated from; the word Pinot is said the same way in both.
• Alsace (al-ZASS): The French region most associated with the name Pinot Gris; unlike Gris, its final s sound is spoken.

Questions about pronouncing Pinot Gris

How do you pronounce Pinot Gris?

Pinot Gris is pronounced PEE-noh GREE. Pinot sounds like PEE-noh, with a silent t, and Gris sounds like GREE, with a silent s. The main weight falls on GREE, the last syllable.

Is the s silent in Pinot Gris?

Yes. In French, a single s at the end of a word is normally not spoken, so gris is said GREE and rhymes with tree. The name is often heard in English with a sounded s, but the French form ends on the vowel.

Is it Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio?

Both are names for the same grape. Pinot Gris (PEE-noh GREE) is French and Pinot Grigio (PEE-noh GREE-joh) is Italian. Producers outside those countries choose either name, usually to signal style: Gris for a richer, fuller wine and Grigio for a lighter, crisper one.

What does Pinot Gris mean?

Gris is the French word for gray. It describes the grayish-pink skin of the ripe grapes, which sets the variety apart from dark-skinned Pinot Noir. The word Pinot is thought to come from the small, pinecone-shaped clusters of the Pinot family.

Is Pinot Gris a sweet or dry wine?

It can be either. Many Pinot Gris wines are dry. In Alsace the grape ripens to high sugar levels, so bottles often keep some residual sugar, and late-harvest versions labeled Vendanges Tardives are usually sweet. The producer's style decides, so ask or check the back label.

Sources: Wikipedia: Pinot gris, Wikipedia: Alsace wine, Wiktionary: gris, Wiktionary: pinot gris. Last reviewed 2026-10-10.