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Calabria Bélena Pinot Grigio

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I covered the Calabria and Bélena story in my review of the sister Rosé wine. Calabria is an Italian family that migrated to Australia in 1945, and this one takes the Italian connection a little further, using one of Italy’s classic white grape varieties.

This is the 2025 vintage, made from 100% Pinot Grigio and coming in at 12% ABV. As with the Rosé, the decorative, faceted crystal-style clear-glass bottle feels rather more Italian than Australian, and it is good enough to keep afterwards as a decorative water bottle. Both the bottle and the labels look considerably more premium than the price might suggest.

There is some good recognition behind the attractive packaging too. It scored 92 points and won a Silver Medal at the 2025 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards in the Pinot Gris/Grigio 2025 class. Vivino currently has a high 4.0 score for the 2025 vintage, while Decanter also selected the wine for its recent feature on “Nine ‘Exceptional’ Asda wines to buy now”.

In the glass it is almost clear in colour. There is a savoury citrus and ginger aroma, while my wife also detected something reminiscent of a struck match. It is dry, with grapefruit and citrus flavours, but there is more gravitas here than I find in many Pinot Grigios. It feels fuller, finishing with a pleasing spicy character.

This is a new wine that only became available last May and it is available from Asda for £10.

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IMAGE WALL