2022 Simon di Brazzan, DOC Friuli Pinot Grigio

When was the last time we featured a Pinot Grigio? Honestly I can’t remember either. Thanks to some very large brands, this classic variety has become synonymous with safe, simple, almost purposefully neutral grocery store wine over the past couple of decades. However, the truth is that the grape itself is very capable of producing the exact opposite, and the best examples come from the Alpine foothills of Friuli. Daniel Drius of Simon di Brazzan is a rising star in this region, and his Pinot Grigio is one of my favorite examples of how satisfyingly complex this wine can be–richly textured and perfectly balanced by mountain acidity and minerality. And it’s not just a top notch example of Pinot Grigio, it’s a candidate for the top tier of Italian white wine, period. If you still think that all Pinot Grigio is created equal, the only thing to do is grab a few of these deliciously different bottles and find out what I’m talking about! Daniele Drius is a fast-rising star on the Friulian wi