Digiboy made me laugh this week. His friend had called him up in a panic asking which wine he should go for on his hot date. 'I'm thinking Pinot as it's trendy', friend told him. 'Great', said DB, 'So what's the problem?' Friend replied 'Erm...what is it?'
Classic. There's much confusion around 'Pinot' in this country as in many pubs and bars if you ask for one, you are served a rather neutral Italian white wine. This my friends, is not the wine that all the fuss has been about. Oh no! This white wine is Pinot Grigio. 'Pinot' is generally used to refer to Pinot Noir; a delicate red grape that has the potential to produce incredible wine.
Pinot Noir is like a Tango (the dance, not the drink!). It's extremely complex and difficult to get right. When not done properly, it can be rather mediocre and awkward, but when conditions are right and the masters get hold of it, oh boy! It's the most elegant and intriguing thing you ever saw. Miles, the protaganist from the film Sideways sums it up well when he says that its flavours are "the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and ancient on the planet".
If Pinot were a person, it would be Audrey Hepburn. Nuff said.
Pinot's spiritual home is Burgundy, France. Frustratingly, to get what the fuss is about, you often have to pay a lot of money and get something with a few years of age on it. That's when it's best. I wouldn't start in Burgundy though. Instead, I'd follow the tasting map below to get a good idea of what ths grape can do around the world. These have all become classic regions for Pinot in their own right. Some are made to mirror the Burgundian style and some aren't at all:
Wine Language Tasting Tour:
Start in Chile and then work your way to New Zealand. If you can find it, next try one from Russian River Valley in California or Oregon and then work up to Burgundy, France. (Note - you will not see Pinot Noir written on the label in Burgundy. If it says Bourgogne - which is French for 'Burgundy' - and it's a red wine, it's almost certainly a Pinot Noir.)
TTFN,
Winebird x
Classic. There's much confusion around 'Pinot' in this country as in many pubs and bars if you ask for one, you are served a rather neutral Italian white wine. This my friends, is not the wine that all the fuss has been about. Oh no! This white wine is Pinot Grigio. 'Pinot' is generally used to refer to Pinot Noir; a delicate red grape that has the potential to produce incredible wine.
Pinot Noir is like a Tango (the dance, not the drink!). It's extremely complex and difficult to get right. When not done properly, it can be rather mediocre and awkward, but when conditions are right and the masters get hold of it, oh boy! It's the most elegant and intriguing thing you ever saw. Miles, the protaganist from the film Sideways sums it up well when he says that its flavours are "the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and ancient on the planet".
If Pinot were a person, it would be Audrey Hepburn. Nuff said.
Pinot's spiritual home is Burgundy, France. Frustratingly, to get what the fuss is about, you often have to pay a lot of money and get something with a few years of age on it. That's when it's best. I wouldn't start in Burgundy though. Instead, I'd follow the tasting map below to get a good idea of what ths grape can do around the world. These have all become classic regions for Pinot in their own right. Some are made to mirror the Burgundian style and some aren't at all:
Wine Language Tasting Tour:
Start in Chile and then work your way to New Zealand. If you can find it, next try one from Russian River Valley in California or Oregon and then work up to Burgundy, France. (Note - you will not see Pinot Noir written on the label in Burgundy. If it says Bourgogne - which is French for 'Burgundy' - and it's a red wine, it's almost certainly a Pinot Noir.)
TTFN,
Winebird x
