The “New York Times” called him an “artist, composer and winemaker,” highlighting his mastery in creating harmonious wines. Giorgio Grai (1930–2019) was much more than a winemaker: he was a visionary, a craftsman of the blend and a refined interpreter of the soul of Italian wine. Born in Vienna to an Italian family, he left a deep and lasting mark on the wine scene, establishing himself as one of the absolute protagonists of twentieth-century winemaking.
His career began at a young age, but his rare talent immediately emerged: the ability to fully understand the potential of each grape variety and to enhance it through precise, elegant, never banal blends. He collaborated with numerous Italian wineries – particularly in Alto Adige, Trentino, Friuli Venezia Giulia – offering a decisive contribution to the qualitative improvement of the wines of these regions.
But Grai’s true hallmark was his conception of wine as a work of art. Every blend, every choice of aging, every intervention in the cellar was designed to achieve a perfect balance between structure, acidity and aromatic complexity. It is no surprise that someone called him a “wine composer”: each bottle was a symphony studied in the smallest details.
His reds and whites – often the result of expert blends – are still considered examples of elegance, depth and longevity. Grai believed in the aging potential of well-made wine, and his products demonstrate this, evolving over time with grace and personality.
Among the vines he most admired, Pinot Noir stood out, a variety that finds one of its best Italian expressions in Alto Adige. It is precisely in homage to this passion that a 2022 Pinot Noir vintage dedicated to Giorgio Grai was recently announced: a symbolic tribute to a man who gave so much to Italian viticulture, and who still today represents a source of inspiration for producers and enthusiasts.
His passing in 2019 left a void in the world of wine, but his legacy lives on in the glasses, in his teachings and in the artisanal approach he was able to transmit. Giorgio Grai was not just an oenologist: he was a master of time, capable of creating wines that still speak today.
