Dalia 2025 Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC 750ml

Lia Tolaini-Banville has spent more than two decades building a career in the North American wine industry — opening a retail wine shop in Winnipeg with her sister in 1997, then founding Banville Wine Merchants with her father in 2004, growing it into a national importer representing forty wineries across Italy, France, Germany, and England. Pinot Grigio was a centerpiece of Lia's own family table growing up, and it remains one today. Recognizing that Pinot Grigio has become, in her words, the essential heartbeat of Italian white wine in the American market, she set out to create her own version of it — something easy-drinking and refreshing, built to pair simply with life's ordinary and extraordinary moments alike.

The name Dalia — "from Lia" in Italian — carries a double meaning, evoking both its founder and the dahlia flower, whose vibrant blooms last from midsummer deep into autumn as a symbol of grace and new beginnings. The wine itself is sourced from vineyards scattered across the foothills and hilly terrain of the upper Val d'Alpone in the Veneto, where the protective shadow of the Dolomite mountains creates ideal growing conditions for Pinot Grigio — a diverse patchwork of volcanic, alluvial, morainic, clayey, and calcareous soils that gives the fruit real complexity despite the wine's overall lightness of style.

Grapes are hand-harvested in late August, when fully ripe, then gently pressed and fermented slowly, entirely in stainless steel — no oak influence at any stage, preserving the wine's natural brightness and floral character. The producer's own tasting notes describe a pale yellow color with golden reflections, an aromatic bouquet of ripe peach, apple, and fresh florals with a hint of flint stone, and a palate that is rich, mineral, and fresh. Wine Enthusiast, reviewing recent vintages, found "a classic orchard medley of pear and apple, with wafting hints of white lilies," the palate "rounded by lees contact" offering "a textured, almost creamy pear note" that makes for "an easy and drinkable wine." This is Pinot Grigio built for the moment — a sunny porch, a full table, a toast among friends — from a winery whose founder understood exactly what that moment required.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Dalia Pinot Grigio is produced in the Veneto region of northern Italy, with grapes sourced from vineyards scattered across the foothills and hilly areas of the upper Val d'Alpone, where the Dolomite mountains cast a protective shadow that creates an ideal microclimate for Pinot Grigio. The soils across these sites range widely — volcanic, alluvial, morainic, clayey, and calcareous — contributing genuine terroir complexity to a wine built primarily for immediate, easy enjoyment.

The brand was founded by Lia Tolaini-Banville, who has held an integral role in the North American wine trade for more than two decades. She opened her first retail wine shop in Winnipeg in 1997 with her sister Tina Jones, then founded Banville Wine Merchants in 2004 with her father, Pier Luigi Tolaini, building it into a national importer representing forty wineries across multiple European countries with distribution spanning New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Oregon, later expanding into a Canadian division in Ontario and Manitoba. Dalia — meaning "from Lia" in Italian, and doubling as a reference to the resilient, long-blooming dahlia flower — represents her own entry into wine production, built specifically around Pinot Grigio's role as the most essential and most widely consumed Italian white wine in the American market.

Grapes are hand-harvested in late August at full ripeness, then gently pressed with a slow fermentation, aging entirely in stainless steel to preserve the wine's natural fruit character and freshness. Alcohol sits at 12.5%, with acidity around 5.5 g/l.

Tasting Profile

Nose
Pale yellow with golden reflections. An aromatic bouquet opens with ripe peach and apple, joined by fresh florals and a hint of flint stone — the varied volcanic and calcareous soils of the Val d'Alpone most directly apparent here. A classic orchard medley, with wafting hints of white lilies adding delicate floral lift.

Palate
Rich, mineral, and fresh, with a textured, almost creamy pear note carrying through the mid-palate — the result of gentle lees contact during the slow fermentation process. Green apple and a kiss of minerality add brightness, keeping the wine genuinely refreshing despite its textural richness.

Finish
Clean and easy, closing with lingering orchard fruit and a light mineral edge — a finish built for effortless, repeated sipping rather than extended contemplation.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Appetizers and light hors d'oeuvres
• Zesty chicken dishes — the producer's own specific recommendation
• Fresh fruit, poolside
• Desserts
• Light seafood