10 things to know when you sip... Pinot Noir
This week, triggered by a question from a lovely Social Sipper, I’m tackling well-priced Pinot Noir. A rare and exotic thing. So first, let's get into PN for a moment. 10 pinot facts:
Pinot Noir is one of the three grapes used to make Champagne (Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier) being the other two
It’s a small grape and grows in small clusters and therefore notoriously difficult to grow - which is why it's so expensive - farmers take a lot of effort to get only small amounts of grapes and they they have to treat them like delicate little flowers when making the wine
Biggest Pinot counties are France, USA and Germany but everywhere is trying its hand these days, including the UK
For value, look to Romania, which is bringing out some excellent quality old world style Pinot without the price tag
There's an old wine drinker's tale that you can tell it's a pinot if you can tell the time on your watch through the glass! Yes, it's light and tannins tend to be lower due to how they are made
But tannin is crucial if you want to age a wine, and Pinot Noir from the classic regions like Burgundy can age beautifully (and expensively)
Pinot is a food lover's friend. It has great acidity which you need with most food, and if you don't like white wine, Pinot Noir will pair with lighter foods such as salmon and chicken
Burgundy produces some of the world’s finest and most expensive Pinot Noirs. Names include Nuits-St-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanee
New world top class producers are based in the Willamette Valley in the USA and Martinborough, NZ
In Germany, Pinot Noir is called Spatburgunder
