Be warned - a great Pinot Noir can change your perception on wine forever.
Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned, hard to grow grape with a very long history. So long in fact, that this grape was found already growing in France when the Romans arrived. It is difficult to grow due to the climate it needs to thrive and requires a Goldilocks type of climate – cooler days and rain at just the right time. The grape ripens early but can’t be rushed to harvest. Pinot Noir also requires a certain amount of leaf thinning which drives down yields.
Some of the Goldilocks zones for this grape include Burgundy and Champagne in France, Oregon, parts of California, as well as New Zealand.
Pinot has a flavor profile that can slightly vary by region and winemaker but the most common elements include tastes and aromas of red fruit. If planted in warmer regions or even in warmer vintages, the flavors start to take on cooked fruit or jam characteristics.
Typically, there is a smaller influence of oak unlike Cabernet Sauvignon which can explode with oak. Some drinkers that are used to those flavor bomb wines may have a hard time transitioning to Pinot as it is a much more delicate and almost seductive wine.
