By Karen MacNeil
August 7, 2026
The Perfect T-Shirt of Wine
Is Pinot Grigio supposed to taste like air with alcohol in it?
Not to me, it isn’t. For as simple as Pinot Grigio can be, it should still have character. It should still have, well, personality.
One day, a few decades ago when I was just starting out, I found myself in a troubling blind tasting.
Blind white wine #5 was confounding. I just couldn’t figure it out. I ran lists of possibilities through my head. Nothing clicked. Then I reversed direction and began to rule out varieties I thought wine #5 could not possibly be.
After about 20 minutes of this agonizing exercise, it dawned on me what the wine was. It was the perfect white T-shirt of wines—unobjectionable, straightforward, basic. It was a Pinot Grigio.
I still think of PG as a white T-shirt, but I also think it should have at least a touch of personality. It should be cooling. It should have a citrusy bent. It should be thirst-quenching.
In search of the above, we recently tasted about three dozen California and Oregon Pinot Grigios and Pinot Gris in my office. Five of them stood out and one was so good we’ve made it an upcoming Wine to Know (stay tuned).
The Five Best Pinot Grigios
All five of these fantastic wines are Steals:
- SEAGLASS Pinot Grigio 2025 ($13)
- ELK COVE Pinot Gris 2025 ($22)
- MENAGE A TROIS “Limelight” Pinot Grigio 2024 ($12)
- JOEL GOTT Pinot Gris 2023 ($20)
- ACROBAT Pinot Gris 2024 ($15)
Which leads us to the question: is Pinot Grigio different than Pinot Gris? Technically, they are just different names for the same variety. But I do think they can differ in style. Pinot Grigios are usually lighter and leaner; Pinot Gris have a bigger core of flavor. Legally speaking, US producers can call the wine by whichever name they prefer.
Michelin Wine Ratings: A Cult of Personality
And speaking of personality…
What the world needs now (may be love), but it’s definitely not another wine rating system. Just as the hyperventilated influence of wine critics has begun to subside, Michelin has waded into the pool with a brand new wine scoring system of its own.
Michelin, the tire company, began rating restaurants and hotels as far back as 1926, and those rankings have become a traveler’s gospel. Exactly no one turns down the chance to dine at a Michelin 3-Star restaurant in France, for example.
This summer, Michelin decided to take on the wine world, starting with Burgundy and Bordeaux. A few weeks ago the company awarded “Three Grapes” (the highest designation) to just nine Burgundy estates. Twenty Burgundy wine producers got “Two Grapes,” and thirty-three got “One Grape.”
What are the ratings based on? They are not based on history, track record, or even terroir. Said Michelin International Director Gwendal Poullennec, “…our selection demonstrates that excellence is not defined solely by the prestige of a name. It is expressed above all through the precision of the work carried out both in the vineyard and in the cellar, and through the personality that each vintner brings to their estate in the pursuit of the highest quality.”
Wow. Points for a Vintner’s Personality? (The monks of Burgundy—the first evangelists for the concept of terroir—must be turning over in their graves).
French Vineyard Land Devastated
The new rating system could not come at a worse time for French vineyards. Rating systems can affect French land values. Get a high score from a powerful critic, and the value of your chateau or domaine and its vineyards goes up. Get a bad score, and the opposite happens.
The value of French vineyard land is already in a free fall, due to the perfect storm of over production but declining consumption. In some parts of Bordeaux, vineyards (once among the priciest in the world) are now worth a staggering 50% less than they were just eight years ago.
If those vineyards even manage to exist. Because as of this writing, devastating wildfires are ringing Bordeaux city, destroying vineyards and forests. Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from southwest France, and an area four times larger than the city of Paris has burned. The heat is so intense that the rising hot air is creating thunderstorms of lightning, which in turn set off more fires. Many vineyards have been burned to a crisp.
In Spain, the situation is equally grim, with wildfires encircling Madrid, and burning the old vineyards of Castilla La Mancha.
And So We Wait
Here in Napa Valley, we watch, heartbroken for French and Spanish vintners. And we wait. The days are getting hotter. In the lead-up to this year’s harvest, the whole valley is on edge.
Because the 2020 wildfires that devastated Napa and Sonoma are burned into the collective memory.
Our time of tragedy may yet, and soon, come again.
Karen MacNeil is a nationally known speaker and writer. She is the author of The Wine Bible, one of the most successful wine books in America, and the editor of WineSpeed. You can find her at [email protected].
Karen specializes in one-of-a-kind experiences, often providing insider access to some of the greatest wines in the world. All curated experiences—from seminars like “What Makes Great Wine Great” to exclusive wine tastings—are intended to be interactive, engaging, and informative! Reach out today to learn more.
