Do you prefer Italian- or French-style white pinot? Let the name be your first clue.

Pinot gris is a grape of French origin capable of a wide spectrum of white wine styles.

It is best known under the name pinot grigio in northern Italy, where most of its wines are made from grapes that are barely ripe. As a result, Italian versions of this wine tend to be quite light in weight and almost neutral in flavor. In France’s Alsace region, the pinot gris grape is traditionally ripened on the vine much longer, yielding wines that are considerably richer in both flavor and texture.

California vintners can opt for either path by picking their grapes earlier for a lighter Italian style or later for a more complex French style, which can make it hard for wine drinkers to know what to expect flavor-wise. Luckily, there are two indicators on most labels that can help savvy shoppers make an educated guess.

In choosing whether to call their wine pinot grigio or pinot gris, wineries typically signal their wine’s style by the choice of language. For example, this plump, juicy wine sports the French version of the grape name as a subtle suggestion that it will taste more French than Italian. Secondly, the label’s fine print can be used to confirm or deny, since low-ripeness Italian-style wines will usually contain no more than 13% alcohol maximum. In this case, the wine’s 13.5% alcohol strongly suggests that the winemaking team took its inspiration from Alsace, which is easily confirmed on first sip. The wine’s vibrant flavors of hyper-ripe peaches and pears are far stronger than the delicate apple-y taste of a lighter “pinot grigio”. A faint thread of floral aromatics like violets and jasmine add French-style complexity as well. The result is a delightfully flavorful white wine well-suited to a wide range of boldly seasoned foods, from Vietnamese spring rolls to sausages and sauerkraut.

$12.99; 13.5% alcohol

PLCB Item #8937. Sale price through 10/3 – regularly $15.99

Also available at:

Joe Canal’s in Lawrenceville, N.J. - $11.49, lawrenceville.jcanals.com

Canal’s Bottlestop in Marlton, canalswine.com $11.96

Kreston Wine & Spirits in Wilmington, $12.49, krestonwines.com