Same variety, two different styles of wine. Within Europe Italian producers generally make the light, crisp wine from the grape and label it as Pinot Grigio. Producers in the Alsace region of France call it Pinot Gris and make a much richer, more developed style. Genetically identical to Pinot Noir, it is thought to have mutated in Burgundy with lighter skins to produce a slightly copper/grey colored fruit. In Germany it goes by a couple of synonyms, Rulander if vinified into a sweet wine and Grauer Burgunder (or Gray Burgundy) if dry. The grape has been exported across much of the New World with particular success in Oregon and New Zealand. Both regions take after the richer Alsation style.
White wine is a wine whose color can be pale-yellow, yellow-green, and yellow-gold colored. The wine is produced from a variety of grape varieties. The flavor and color comes from the juice of the grape and sometimes the skin of the grape as well. Interestingly, not all white wine comes from white grapes. Some select red grapes are used as in Champagne.
