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Scroll down for the latest NEWS on Pinot Noir
Taste of the Grape: Pinot Noir
Cabernet Sauvignon traveled with ease from Bordeaux to California’s warmer valleys, where it
thrives in sunshine. However, except for a few pockets, Pinot Noir seems to be more at home
up north in Oregon, where the long, cool growing season allows the Pinot Noir fruit flavors to
develop slowly. Pinot Noir ripened quickly on the hot California valley floors tends to be flat
and uninteresting.
Less pigmented than most red grapes, Pinot Noir has a brick-orange cast rather than a deep purple color. At its best, Pinot Noir is low in tannin and high in glycerin, and has a lively acidic backbone that gives length and focus to the typical Pinot Noir flavors of raspberries, cherries, and smoke. Such structure makes Pinot Noir a highly versatile food wine.
The Pinot Noirs from Oregon can be very Burgundian in structure and range from a light Côte de Beaune style to a richer Côte de Nuits style; they match with food accordingly. The light, clean acidity and modest tannin of typical Pinot Noir makes it suitable with all but the lightest of seafood dishes. Open one of the jammy California interpretations of Pinot Noir – from Santa Barbara or the Russian River Valley in Sonoma – in place of Merlot. You’ll find that these generously fruity and mildly acidic wines might be more enjoyable.
Perhaps the best use of Pinot Noir grapes in California is as the main component in brut rosé-style, Blanc de Noirs sparkling wines. Several of the great French Champagne houses, in order to meet growing worldwide demand, opened shop in California. Here they found that Pinot Noir, a vital component of Champagne in France, grows to full ripeness in the California sunshine. More ripeness means more color in the skin and more fruit flavors as well. When gently pressed and quickly removed from the vat, Pinot Noir skins lend a delightful “blush” of copper color to Champagne–method sparkling wine.
Decent Pinot Noir is never cheap. A good way to get to know this grape is by trying varietal-labeled Pinot Noir from the big, reputable Burgundy houses.
Most Oregonian interpretations of Pinot Noir are closer in style to their Burgundian brethren than they are to their California neighbors. Ask a reliable wine merchant for his or her suggestions for a varietally correct (yet affordable) Pinot Noir. Oregon Pinot bargains are definitely available, especially in comparison to the fabulously expensive grands crus and premiers crus of Burgundy.
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News about Wineries wineriesWine aficionados are trampling on Pennsylvania's latest effort to regulate direct shipments of wine to consumers, calling the proposal too restrictive and too expensive. They have urged state lawmakers to bottle up a bill that would require wineries ... Read morePa. wine bill attracts wrath of grape lovers - Philadelphia Daily NewsPinot gris may never overtake chardonnay as the most important white wine grape in Washington, but it is poised to give chardonnay a good run for its money. At first glance, it looks like Washington is hardly a player with only about 500 acres of ... Read moreWine Pick of the Week: 2007 Hogue Cellars Pinot Grigio $9 - Seattle Post IntelligencerFly to Seattle for $288 RT; buy tour deal to save more Fly round-trip to Rome on USAirways: $656 Enjoy Memphis your way, on a budget or a splurge See San Francisco for $230 round-trip Continental gets you to Hawaii for $487 R/T Give a ten-day or more ... Read moreFly to Seattle for $288 RT; buy tour deal to save more - Atlanta Journal ConstitutionSEATTLE, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Seattle TourSaver offers more than $4,000 in 2-for-1 savings on accommodations, activities, attractions and tours, including: Victoria Clipper, Argosy Cruises, Kenmore Air, Homewood Suites (on Pike St.), Seattle ... Read moreSeattle TourSaver Adds 19 New Offers - Now Over $4,000 in Travel ... - ForbesWine aficionados are trampling on Pennsylvania's latest effort to regulate direct shipments of wine to consumers, calling the proposal too restrictive and too expensive. They have urged state lawmakers to bottle up a bill that would require wineries ... Read morePa. wine bill attracts wrath of grape lovers - Philadelphia InquirerNew Zealand's dairy, meat and grain farmers are not the only producers cashing in on soaring international commodities markets – wine exporters expect to hit $1 billion in exports by 2010. Winegrowers, who used to earn less export revenue than the ... Read moreNZ 'on track for $1 billion wine exports by 2010' - StuffThis is one in a series of occasional stories about Marin terroir. The llamas don't surprise as much as the spare vineyards dotting this naked land, from the Stubb's property, tucked deep into the valley floor along bumpy Marshall Petaluma Road, to ... Read moreMarin wine region similar to France's famed Burgundy region - Inside Bay AreaMONTEPULCIANO, Italy (Reuters Life!) - Shiny steel vats stand ready to be filled with purple Sangiovese grapes in wineries in the Tuscan township of Montepulciano, where winemakers are cautiously forecasting a top-quality vintage. The weather has ... Read moreItaly's winemakers see top quality 2008 harvest - ReutersCORNING, N.Y. - Let's have a toast! The Cayuga Wine Trail in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York is celebrating 25 years this September. The trail started in 1983 with five wineries. Today the trail consists of 16 family-owned wineries, and ... Read moreFinger Lakes wine trail celebrates 25 years - Canada EastAutumn Hill Vineyards will offer its sixth annual harvest Prevue and Perspective Open House from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Guests can meet under a tent in the vineyard from 2 to 3 p.m. to learn about growing quality grapes in Virginia and ... Read more |