Forget everything you think you know about Pinot Grigio. The thin, neutral, vaguely white wine that has given the grape such an unfair reputation bears no resemblance to what Pinot Grigio can achieve in the right hands, in the right place — and Cantina Lavis in Trentino is exactly the right place. Nestled in the Alpine foothills of northern Italy, where the Dolomites cast their shadow over steep, high-altitude vineyards and cool mountain air preserves a natural freshness and intensity that the Veneto plains simply cannot match, Trentino produces Pinot Grigio of a quite different and altogether more serious character. Cantina Lavis has been at the heart of this remarkable region since 1850 — one of Italy’s most historic and respected cooperatives, founded by the Cembran family and bringing together the finest growers in the valley to produce wines of exceptional quality and consistency. The I Classici Pinot Grigio is their benchmark expression of the variety, and it is a revelation for anyone who has written off the grape: an intense golden yellow in the glass — already telling you this is something richer and more serious than the pale, watery norm — with a warm, inviting bouquet rich in ripe fruits and honey that is generous and complex. On the palate it has a distinctive, vibrant minerality that speaks directly of the Alpine soils, with a long, fruity finish that lingers with real persistence and class. Pinot Grigio as it was always meant to be. At £15.99, it is a genuine revelation.