Sonetti Pinot Grigio 2017 Puglia IGT, Italy 75cl

Sonetti is a Pinot Grigio brand produced by Caviro, one of Italy’s largest and most established wine cooperatives, known for making reliable, honest wines at friendly prices across the country. This bottling comes from Puglia, the warm, sun-soaked heel of southern Italy, under the broad and widely used Puglia IGT designation.

Pinot Grigio grown this far south tends to be riper and rounder than its cooler northern cousins, and that is the intention here. It is a pure varietal white made in a fresh, unoaked style, built for easy approachability rather than complexity, and typical of the generous, uncomplicated whites that Puglia turns out so well.

The 2017 was always made for early enjoyment, and it wears its style lightly. This is a wine to pour and enjoy rather than one to cellar, and it does exactly what a good everyday Pinot Grigio should, without asking anything of the drinker.

Expect a light, crisp palate with green apple, pear and a hint of citrus, a soft, easy texture and a clean, refreshing finish. Serve it well chilled as an aperitif on a warm afternoon, or at the table with light pasta, grilled vegetables, salads, antipasti or simple white fish.

If you like an unfussy, wallet-friendly white for weeknights and gatherings, this Puglian Pinot Grigio fits the brief neatly. Think of it as a dependable house white with a little southern Italian sunshine behind it, ready to open on any warm evening or casual gathering that calls for something fresh, cheerful and undemanding.