Pinot Grigio Day: How to Celebrate With a Glass Worth Raising

Quick summary: Pinot Grigio Day falls on 17th May every year. At Humble Grape, we think it deserves a proper toast — with a bottle that challenges everything you assumed about this misunderstood grape. Here's everything you need to know.

Pinot Grigio. Even the name divides a room. For some, it's the default order at the bar — reliable, inoffensive, done. For others, it's become shorthand for wine that doesn't try very hard. At Humble Grape, we'd respectfully like to challenge that assumption. Because when Pinot Grigio is done properly — from the right soil, by the right hands — it is genuinely, wonderfully brilliant. And what better time to prove it than Pinot Grigio Day on 17th May?

What Is Pinot Grigio Day — and Why Should You Care?

Pinot Grigio Day is an annual celebration of one of the world's most-drunk white wine grapes, held every 17th May. It began as a way to champion the grape beyond its mass-market reputation and shine a light on the remarkable range of styles it can produce — from lean and mineral to rich, textured, and downright complex.

It's also, if we're being honest, a very good excuse to open a bottle mid-week.

The day has gained traction across the wine world precisely because Pinot Grigio is so widely misunderstood. People drink it constantly but rarely stop to ask where it's from, how it was made, or why some bottles taste like bottled boredom while others stop you mid-sentence.

A Grape With More to Say Than You Think

Pinot Grigio — or Pinot Gris as it's known in France and beyond — is a mutation of the red Pinot Noir grape. Its berries ripen to a pinkish-grey colour (grigio is Italian for grey), and the grape itself is extraordinarily sensitive to where it grows and how it's handled in the winery.

In the hands of a volume producer, Pinot Grigio becomes fast, neutral, and forgettable. But in the hands of a passionate, small-scale winemaker — like those we champion at Humble Grape — it becomes something else entirely. Think crunchy pear and white peach, a thread of minerality running underneath, and a freshness that makes it arguably the perfect warm-weather wine.

It thrives across northeast Italy, particularly in the Veneto, Alto Adige, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Alsace in France produces richer, more aromatic expressions. But it's the Italian Veneto that most of us picture when we hear the name — and it's there that Cantina Ronca is quietly doing something rather special.

Why Pinot Grigio Gets a Bad Rap — and Why That's Changing

The short version: demand got ahead of quality. As Pinot Grigio became the world's go-to white wine order through the 2000s and 2010s, production scaled up. Fast. Large commercial wineries churned out oceans of pale, thin, flavourless bottles to meet that demand, and an unfair reputation took hold.

But the tide is turning. A new generation of wine drinkers is asking harder questions — about origin, method, sustainability — and producers who've always done things properly are finally getting the attention they deserve. Pinot Grigio Day exists in part to accelerate exactly that shift.

The Best Pinot Grigio to Open on 17th May

If you're going to celebrate Pinot Grigio Day properly, you need a bottle that earns its place. Not just any Pinot Grigio — one with a story, a sense of place, and the kind of quality that makes you reconsider everything you thought you knew about the grape.

We've been pouring Cantina Ronca's Pinot Grigio for a while now, and the reaction is always the same. People are surprised. In the best possible way.

Browse our full Pinot Grigio Day collection to explore every bottle we've selected for the occasion.

Cantina Ronca Pinot Grigio 2021, Veneto — Our Hero Bottle

£32.30 | 750ml | Organic | Screw Top | 14% ABV

Can a wine be too perfect? Nope. This one is proof you can have your cake and eat it — and it makes the case in three clean moves.

Where It Comes From

The Ronca winery sits in Sommacampagna, a small comune in the Veneto region tucked into the sweet, rolling hills south of Lake Garda. These are Morenic hills — shaped by glacial activity over thousands of years — and they give the soil a strong minerality that you can taste in the wine. The vineyards are cooled by gentle breezes from Garda, which slow ripening and preserve the grape's natural freshness.

It is, genuinely, one of the most beautiful places on earth to grow wine. That's not marketing — it's just fact.

How It's Made

Cantina Ronca are a family estate who take sustainability seriously — not as a badge, but as a practice. Solar panels power their winery and heat their water. They use only natural yeasts, no herbicides, no insecticides. Every grape is hand-harvested.

After harvest, the wine ages on its lees in stainless steel for four months. This lees ageing is the key — it's what adds roundness and depth to a grape that could otherwise veer towards thin and sharp. The result is a Pinot Grigio that has texture without weight, richness without flabbiness.

This is certified organic winemaking — not because it's fashionable, but because the Ronca family believe it produces better wine from healthier vines. We think they're right.

What It Tastes Like

Crunchy pear. White peach. A hint of citrus blossom. A streak of clean, chalky minerality that keeps everything honest. The lees ageing adds a subtle creaminess — nothing heavy, just enough to give the wine presence in the glass. The finish is long and fresh, which at 14% ABV is more of an achievement than it sounds.

This is the Pinot Grigio you order and then immediately want another glass of. The one that prompts someone across the table to ask, "wait, what is that?"

Raise a Glass on 17th May

Pinot Grigio Day is a reminder that no grape deserves to be written off — and no wine should be dismissed before you've tried it done properly. The Cantina Ronca 2021 is, for us, the clearest proof that Pinot Grigio can be genuinely exciting.

Order before 17th May and we'll have it with you in time to celebrate. Shop our full Pinot Grigio Day collection, or go straight to the Cantina Ronca Pinot Grigio 2021 and crack on.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Pinot Grigio Day? Pinot Grigio Day is celebrated annually on 17th May.

What is Pinot Grigio? Pinot Grigio is a white wine grape originating from the Pinot family. It's closely related to Pinot Noir and thrives in cool-climate wine regions, particularly in northeast Italy and Alsace, France. The name refers to the greyish-pink colour of its berries.

What's the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris? They're the same grape — the name just changes by country. Pinot Grigio is the Italian term, associated with lighter, crisper styles. Pinot Gris is the French (Alsatian) name, typically used for richer, more aromatic wines with more body.

Is Pinot Grigio a dry wine? Yes, most Pinot Grigio is dry. Italian-style Pinot Grigio is typically light and crisp with very little residual sugar. Some Alsatian Pinot Gris can be off-dry or even sweet, depending on the producer.

What food pairs well with Pinot Grigio? Pinot Grigio is wonderfully versatile. It pairs beautifully with seafood, light pasta dishes, soft cheeses, grilled chicken, and anything summery. The Cantina Ronca 2021, with its added richness from lees ageing, can hold its own alongside richer fish dishes and creamy risottos too.

Where can I buy good Pinot Grigio online in the UK? Humble Grape curates a hand-picked selection of sustainable, small-producer Pinot Grigio sourced directly from the vineyard. Browse our Pinot Grigio Day collection for bottles chosen to challenge — and change — your assumptions about the grape.