Pinot Grigio vs Sauvignon Blanc: the difference, side by side

Pinot Grigio vs Sauvignon Blanc

Both are dry, fresh white wines that are best drunk young. Sauvignon Blanc is the sharper of the two, with grapefruit, passion fruit and gooseberry. Pinot Grigio is a little softer, with white peach and lemon zest. Either suits seafood or a salad.

Barello is a home cellar and bar app that tells you what to open tonight, what to keep, and what you can mix from what you have. It's free. It tells you when each wine you keep is at its best, and what to eat with the bottle you open.

Side by side

	Pinot Grigio	Sauvignon Blanc
Body	Medium-light, 2 of 5	Medium-light, 2 of 5
Sweetness	Dry, 2 of 5	Dry, 2 of 5
Acidity	Medium-high, 4 of 5	High, 5 of 5
Tastes of	White peach, lemon zest, rockmelon, green almond and crushed gravel	Gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach and passion fruit
When to drink	Best at about a year old, and within 2 years.	Best at about a year old, and within 3 years.
Both go with	Seafood, salads, fried food and goat's cheese
Also good with	Just the dishes above	Oysters, salmon and asparagus

Pinot Grigio

Sauvignon Blanc

Body

Medium-light, 2 of 5

Sweetness

Dry, 2 of 5

Acidity

Medium-high, 4 of 5

High, 5 of 5

Tastes of

White peach, lemon zest, rockmelon, green almond and crushed gravel

Gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach and passion fruit

When to drink

Best at about a year old, and within 2 years.

Best at about a year old, and within 3 years.

Both go with

Seafood, salads, fried food and goat's cheese

Also good with

Just the dishes above

Oysters, salmon and asparagus

Scores are out of 5 and describe each grape in general. A bottle depends on where it was grown and how it was made. Ages count from the year on the label.

Which to pick

Pick Pinot Grigio if you'd like a softer white with seafood, salads or fried food.

Pick Sauvignon Blanc if you like a zesty, citrusy white, or you're having oysters, salmon or asparagus.

See when each bottle you own is at its best. Joining takes about thirty seconds.

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Questions people ask

Which is sweeter, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc?

Neither. Both are normally made dry. Sauvignon Blanc tastes sharper because it has more acidity.

Is Pinot Grigio the same as Pinot Gris?

Yes, it's the same grape. Pinot Grigio is its Italian name. Wines sold as Pinot Grigio are usually lighter and crisper than ones labelled Pinot Gris.

Which is better with seafood?

Both go with seafood. For oysters or salmon, pick Sauvignon Blanc.

Body, sweetness, acidity, flavours and alcohol are Wine Folly's. Drinking ages and food matches are Barello's.