Tough to grow, but so worth it. Here’s everything you need to know about this coveted grape.
Pinot noir is the poster child for why being ‘thin skinned’ isn’t a bad thing. This grape? Thin skinned. You know what else it is? DELICIOUS. You’ve heard of pinot noir, you’ve seen it on wine menus, and you’ve seen it at the liquor store. But why is it usually more expensive? What the heck does village have to do with any of it? We’re on it.
Pinot noir is commonly made as a single varietal wine (except for its critical role in champagne). Winemakers often mature pinot noir wine in oak barrels, but specifically large matured oak barrels, to provide subtle flavors of smoke and clove that balance out the fruitiness of the grape. Oak that has ‘matured’ imparts more gentle flavors than a new oak barrel. Small, new oak barrels would impart too much flavor on the wine and overwhelm the delicate flavors that already exist.
Pinot Noir Characteristics
Pinot noir as a wine is pale to medium in color, high in acidity and low to medium tannin. It has red fruit flavors (think strawberry and red cherry) which will change in ripeness depending on how long the grapes were left on the vine. For example, if the grapes were left on the vine for a bit longer, those fruit characteristics may seem more cooked rather than ripe.
As a grape, pinot noir is a thin skinned grape that requires a cool to medium climate to produce good quality grapes. Pinot noir’s popularity has created a demand that has caused it to be planted in areas that are too warm for quality production.
What is a Moderating Factor?
Ok it may seem like a random question, but promise it’s not.
6 Important Regions for Pinot Noir
France
We can’t talk about pinot noir without talking about Burgundy, France. Burgundy is the home of pinot noir. Burgundy’s region, depending on whether it is north or south in the region, ranges from cool to moderate. Pinot noir does best in the moderate climates of Burgundy. Why? That thin skin. Growing in a climate that isn’t too warm, like that of the moderate regions of Burgundy, gives the grape the opportunity to fully ripen. We all deserve the right environment to flourish. The vineyards of Burgundy are all over the region, but the best ones are located in a region called Côte d’Or. Côte d’Or is divided into two parts: Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune. The former is the northern part of the region while the latter is the southern half of Côte d’Or. Wen you’re reading a bottle of pinot noir, you may notice it says something like ‘Bourgogne AOC’ or a specific region followed by ‘grand cru’. It may seem confusing, but all the label is doing is telling you where that wine falls in the Burgundian hierarchy of labelling. Here’s the deal with that:
- Regional Appellations: This is the broadest Burgundian label, called Bourgogne AOC. Considered the bottom of the labelling hierarchy. Wines with this label are typically light to medium in body, low in tannin and high in acidity.
- Village Appellations: The next level up in Burgundy’s labelling. Many regional appellations area divided into what are called ‘villages’. They have their own appellation. You’ll see the name of the village on the bottle. Places like Gevry-Chambertin AOC and Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC are examples of village appellations. Village Appellation wines usually offer a bit more flavor concentration and flavor complexity than the regional appellation wines.
- Premier Cru: Within village appellations, certain high quality vineyards are designated as ‘grand cru’. Wines that are made from grapes solely grown in premier cru vineyards can put this designation on the bottle. If a wine is solely made from one premier cru vineyard, it has the opportunity to put the name of the vineyard on the label. V fancy.
- Grand Cru: This is the highest quality label in Burgundian wine. These are wines made from grapes grown in the best of the best vineyards in Burgundy. These vineyards are so good, they’ve been awarded their own appellation. With that, the vineyard name appears on the label along with ‘Grand Cru AOC’. These babies are rare and pricey.
United States
There are two places in the US that are well known for pinot noir: California and Oregon.
- California: only very specific parts of California have a climate that is conducive to growing pinot noir. This is because many areas of California’s wine region are too warm. So the areas of Northern California and coastal California are where pinot noir is grown. This is because they both have moderating factors. In coastal regions, coastal breezes from the Pacific make the climate cooler. In Northern California, morning fog from the San Pablo Bay makes for an ideal region for growing pinot noir.
- Oregon: the northerly location of this state along and it’s exposure to to the Pacific Ocean creates a moderate climate that is absolutely perfect for growing pinot noir.
Chile
Similar to California, wine regions in Chile require a cooling factor to make an ideal environment for pinot noir. In Casablanca Valley, sea breezes and morning fogs from the Pacific Ocean do exactly that.
South Africa
Alright, you’ve heard this story by now. For pinot noir to grow in South Africa the region needs to be cooled by a climactic factor. In South Africa, pinot noir is produced in cooler coastal regions that are cooled by sea breezes. The main region in South Africa to produce pinot noir is Walker Bay.
Australia
Overall, the climate in Australia is too warm for this thin skinned grape. However, areas in Victoria, like the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, are cooled enough by breezes from the Southern Ocean.
New Zealand
This little grape is actually the main grape variety of NZ. It grows really well here because of the cool to moderate climate of wine regions like Martinborough and Marlborough. Pinot Noir is even grown in more southern regions of New Zealand, like Central Otago, which is protected by a mountain range that blocks sea breezes and rains.
Those are the basics of this beloved varietal. If you’re not sure you like pinot noir, or are trying to get to know it better, here’s a recommendation. If you see a bottle from a location you haven’t tried – be adventurous! Try it out. Each of these regions provide unique touches to the wine that you may be able to detect. Before you know it, you’ll be an expert. Cheers.