SANTA MARGHERITA PINOT GRIGIO
1961-2021: Sixty Years a Classic
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is a byword for pleasurable drinkability; so much so it has become an essential part of convivial gatherings, transcending its Italian origins to be an international staple at home and on the restaurant wine list.
What’s the story? It all began towards the end of the 1950s when the visionary Count Gaetano Marzotto began looking for a new type of wine that would stand out for its originality and distinctive taste profile, with a fresh and fruity character, and a strong sense of identity.
The search led the Count and his team of winemakers to Trentino-Alto Adige, a pioneering decision long in advance of today’s high regard for the region.The oenologists identified the variety that could express the soil and climatic characteristics of the region to the full, but the real revolution was the Count’s decision to vinify the delicate Pinot Grigio grapes as a white wine, eliminating any contact between the must and skins and so transforming a copper-coloured wine into a brilliant, elegant and intensely flavoured white that was the first of its kind.
It was 1961 when Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio made its debut on the Italian market, and its popularity with the public was immediate. Its freshness, approachability, fragrance and easy-drinking style set a new standard not just for Pinot Grigio, but also for the whole white wine sector in general. Old and new consumers, women particularly, loved it. White wine became a source of pleasure.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio was a trailblazer that won the hearts of consumers with its image of the future and of innovation. Its amazing success in Italy suggested that it would also have excellent potential abroad, and exports began in the 1970s.
1979 was the breakthrough year: with its coronation as ‘Italy’s finest white wine’ in a blind tasting the gates to the vast United States market were flung open. Here it became well-established within the space of just a few years, becoming one of Italy’s most iconic wines and creating unprecedented brand loyalty.
SANTA MARGHERITA PINOT GRIGIO TODAY
• Modern and versatile: straw yellow colour, clean, intense nose, with unexpected floral notes and hints of citrus and white-fleshed fruit; freshness and tanginess in perfect balance, giving way to fruit on the palate that is at once delicate and stimulating.
• A great food wine and a perfect aperitif. Good with all culinary traditions.
• An ever-green classic, benefitting from the best practices of sustainability adopted both in the vineyards and in the winery.