2024 Riff Pinot Grigio delle Venezie
March is the season of renewal, and Riff is the perfect project to illustrate how a fresh perspective can revitalize
Producer
Riff
I have reviewed one wine from Riff: the 2024 Riff Pinot Grigio delle Venezie (90 points).
Riff is a project of Alois Lageder, the esteemed Alto Adige producer and biodynamic pioneer, created to show that affordable Pinot Grigio need not be industrial but can have a soul and a story. The name, German for “reef”, nods to the geology of the Dolomite foothills: millions of years ago these jagged peaks were living coral reefs in a prehistoric ocean, and they left behind fossil-rich limestone and dolomite soils.
Lageder sources fruit from trusted growers in the foothills of the north-eastern Alps who follow sustainable and organic practices, capturing an alpine-Mediterranean microclimate.
The Pinot Grigio delle Venezie lifts the everyday category: crisp, vibrant and mineral-driven, with bright orchard fruit, surprising texture and a saline, stony backbone, a true reflection of the ancient stone it grows on.