Is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio worth it?
Santa Margherita is a clean, pleasant Pinot Grigio, but a lot of the price is the name, and you can get a very similar glass for half the money.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio · Pinot Grigio · Northern Italy · most grocery stores and restaurants
- Alcohol
- About 12.5%
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Grapes
- 100% Pinot Grigio
- Made by
- Santa Margherita, owned by the Marzotto family
- From
- Alto Adige, in the Alps of far northern Italy
- Price
- About $20 to $26
- Calories
- About 120 in a 5 oz glass (estimate)
What it tastes like
Lemon, green apple and a little pear, crisp and light, ending clean with a slightly stony edge. Nothing loud, nothing sweet.
- Bodylight → big
- Sweetnessdry → sweet
- Zingsoft → zippy
Is it worth $23?
Not really for everyday drinking. It's well made, but Ecco Domani gets you close for about $10. It makes sense as a gift for someone who already loves it.
Who it’s for
People who want a light, easy white that never surprises them. If you like more flavor, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc gives you more for less.
How to serve it
Properly cold, straight from the fridge.
The backstory
Count Gaetano Marzotto bought the estate in 1935, and in 1961 Santa Margherita did something new: it made Pinot Grigio as a crisp white by pressing the grapes off their skins right away. (Pinot Grigio grapes are actually pinkish gray, so skin contact gives a copper tint.) That clean, pale style took off in America and set the template for most Italian Pinot Grigio since. The Marzotto family still owns the company.
How it compares
- Santa Margherita vs Ecco Domani
Very similar light, lemony style for about half the price; pick Santa Margherita for a gift, Ecco Domani for your own fridge.
- Santa Margherita vs Kim Crawford
Kim Crawford has far more flavor and tang for less money; pick Santa Margherita if you want something calm and quiet.
- Santa Margherita vs Whispering Angel
Another famous name you pay a bit extra for; pick the rosé if you want light strawberry fruit instead of lemon.
What to eat with it
Questions people ask
- Is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio good?
- It's good: clean, crisp and well made. It's just not much better than Pinot Grigios that cost half as much, so you're paying a lot for the name.
- Is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio sweet?
- No, it's dry. You'll get lemon and green apple, but no sugary taste.
- Where is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio from?
- The grapes come from Alto Adige, a mountain region in the Alps right below Austria. The company itself is based in the Veneto, the region around Venice.
- How much is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio?
- About $20 to $26 a bottle in stores. In restaurants it is one of the most marked-up whites on the list, often $50 or more.
- Who owns Santa Margherita wine?
- The Marzotto family, who founded it in 1935. Their wine group also owns several other Italian wineries.
If you like this, try
- Ecco DomaniPinot Grigio · about $10Good buy
- Kim CrawfordSauvignon Blanc · about $15Good buy
- Whispering AngelGrenache blend · about $23It's fine
Where Moxie recommends it
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- What is Pinot Grigio?
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Last checked 2026-10-04. Moxie Vino isn’t affiliated with Santa Margherita; this is our honest take. Bottle photo: Santa Margherita.