Of dear how do you over-come past experiences. The source was Italy, from the region Friuli-Alto Adige in the North, the wines were Pinot Grigio (=Pinot Gris) sold cheaply at the local, Italian inspired restaurant. They were miserable, faulty wines picked before the fruit was ripe. The variety was not in Australia so discovering what the variety tasted like with decent supervision did not happen until the 1990s when I first experienced Austrian and New Zealand examples.
A revelation, being delicious, even superb with the Italians by this time also lifting quality to the global standard. Soon plantings spread across the cooler regions of Australia and now there are multiple examples to choose from.
Pinot Gris is like an albino version of Pinot Noir with an appealing aroma, delicate palate and good length. It needs no barrel fermentation or barrel ageing or all the other wonderful winemaking tricks and seems best when treated just like a Riesling. Take the free run juice, ferment and bottle and when this is done correctly you will have in your hand a most appealing drink.
