| Probably my favorite wine varietal, but also one | | | | Why do winemakers like it? |
| of the most misunderstood around. People either | | | | Pinot Noir is difficult to grow for a number of |
| seem to love it, or hate it without much in | | | | reasons: |
| between. | | | | -Spring frosts kill the vine |
| I'm not one to talk in terms of poetry but I'm not | | | | -The child vines often produce fruit very different |
| afraid to quote those that are when it comes to | | | | from their parents |
| wine. Joel Fleischman of Vanity Fair describes Pinot | | | | -Every type of serious vine sickness is common |
| noir as "the most romantic of wines, with so | | | | in Pinot Noir |
| voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so | | | | -Is a carrier for a couple of insects that can |
| powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they | | | | destroy an entire vineyard in 3 years or less |
| make the blood run hot and the soul wax | | | | -It is hard to ferment |
| embarrassingly poetic." | | | | -The vines are so small that they often do not |
| Okay, so we know Pinot Noir is planted all over | | | | protect the fruit from birds |
| the world and is especially famous in Burgundy | | | | Winemakers love it for exactly these reasons. |
| France on the Cote-d'or (which is really only a 2 | | | | Yes, partially it is a challenge to produce year in, |
| mile wide by 30 mile long stretch of hills) and is | | | | year out great bottles but wine is not beer. The |
| now famous in American in places such as Oregon | | | | idea is not to have the same wine bottled every |
| and the California central coast and the Russian | | | | year, wine is suppose to be a living thing that |
| River Valley in Sonoma. | | | | changes over time. The tannins in Pinot Noir often |
| What is it? It is a red wine grape which is | | | | product a sort of liquid silk when done correctly, |
| considered by experts to be only 1-2 generations | | | | often between 5-8 years after the vintage. |
| removed from wild vines. That is to say this | | | | Pinot Noir is known as the heartbreak grape for |
| grape isn't a combination it is truly an old world | | | | many reasons and more then a few winemakers |
| grape that can be found described in books | | | | believe the varietal is as picky and more stubborn |
| around 2000 years ago, if not longer as the | | | | then any human they've ever had to deal with. |
| ancient Romans starting tending the varietal | | | | Me, I simply enjoy the complexity when it is |
| around 100AD. | | | | bottled correctly. |