PINOT GRIGIO DOC DELLE VENEZIE

From the Triveneto to the Golden Square Mile

On September 15, a corner of northeastern Italy arrived at Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile, where wine media gathered in the Chagall room for a luncheon dedicated to Pinot Grigio DOC Delle Venezie. Presented by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada, the midday tasting offered an introduction to an appellation whose geographical scale is matched by its importance in the global Pinot Grigio market.

Journalist and wine communicator Karyne Duplessis Piché guided guests through the three territories united under the denomination: Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Autonomous Province of Trento. Together, they form the Triveneto, a broad viticultural landscape stretching from the Dolomites and Lake Garda to the Venetian Lagoon, Adriatic Sea and hills of Collio.

That geography gave the luncheon its narrative thread. As glasses were poured and plates arrived, Pinot Grigio became a lens through which to consider altitude, climate, soils and regional identity across Italy’s northeast.

One Appellation, Three Territories

Created in 2017, the Consorzio Tutela Vini Delle Venezie DOC brought the three territories together under one denomination, with a mandate to protect and promote the regional expression of Italian Pinot Grigio. Every certified bottle passes through professional oenologists’ tasting commissions before receiving an Italian government seal.

The numbers underline the appellation’s reach. Delle Venezie encompasses more than 26,000 hectares and accounts for 82 percent of Italian Pinot Grigio production. Italy itself represents 42 percent of the world’s Pinot Grigio vineyard surface. In 2025, Delle Venezie DOC produced 228 million bottles, with 96 percent destined for export. Canada represented seven percent of the market, behind the United States, United Kingdom and Germany.

For Montreal’s wine community, those figures placed a familiar restaurant and terrace staple within a much larger viticultural context. The tasting encouraged guests to look beyond Pinot Grigio as a varietal name and consider the significance of certified origin.

Freshness, Fruit and the Table

In the glass, the denomination centres on freshness, minerality and fruit, with notes of lime, lemon, pear, white nectarine and apple, alongside floral, honeyed and saline nuances, lively acidity and a subtle bitter-almond finish.

Its versatility extends from still to sparkling and semi-sparkling wines, including white and ramato expressions. At Sofitel Montreal, the luncheon brought that versatility to the table, pairing wine with food and conversation while highlighting its acidity, texture and aromatic character.

Timed near the cycling world championships, the event invited guests on a vinous route through northeastern Italy. By early afternoon, Montreal had been connected with vineyards across three distinct territories, presenting Pinot Grigio DOC Delle Venezie as a wine shaped by place, regulation and a culture of conviviality.