February 05, 2007

Pinot Noir

The Grapevine: California pinot noirs showing improvement
I'm not sure whether I'm changing or the wines are, but I'm finding a lot to be optimistic about when it comes to California pinot noir. I came to that conclusion after reflecting on my experience judging a lot of pinot noir in two recent wine competitions -- 120 pinots in all, mostly from California.

Pinot noir still popular 2 years after ‘Sideways’
With everyone gulping down dark and inky shiraz and zinfandel from California’s central coast, it had me wondering what the state of pinot noir is in the marketplace. Obscure and inexpensive Sanford brand pinot noir, Miles’ drink of choice, seemingly tripled in price soon after the film’s release.

Another First - Carneros Della Notte Releases Eclipse A Late ...
First with the Glow-in-the Dark Label, First Place with debut wine in the 2006 Pinot Shootout, and now First with a Late Harvest Pinot Noir from Napa Valley. ECLIPSE a one-of-a-kind Late Harvest Botrytis (Noble Rot) Pinot Noir was hand harvested in the Carneros Region of Napa Valley on December 1, 2005.

Spirited Glass: Global warming affects vineyards
Rynders has been making wine for Domaine Serene, a leading Oregon pinot noir producer, since 1998. A slight rise in temperature has already affected the growing season for Domaine Serenes pinot noir crop, which prefers Oregons cooler, moister climate more than other French wine grapes.

Export surge in NZ pinot noir thanks to US road movie
ELIZABETH JACKSON: New Zealand pinot noir has become a best seller in the US and all because of a quirky road movie called Sideways. But several hundred wine buffs in Wellington will be strictly sticking to the whites this weekend, after spending the past week sniffing, swirling and swigging some of the best pinot noir money can buy.

2005 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir – Santa Barbara County
Jim Clendenen was one of the first to make Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara, founding Au Bon Climat in 1982 with Adam Tolmach. Strangely, the wine is a blend of 82 percent Pinot Noir and 18 percent Mondeuse.

Legendary glassmaker creates unique Oregon pinot noir glass
At the first of these workshops, the finalists unsurprisingly were Riedel Crystal's Vinum Burgundy glass, the Vinum Extreme Pinot Noir Glass, and the Grand Cru Burgundy glass. The glasses Riedel had designed for Pinot Noir all outperformed the other styles.

Too-cool Tassie hots up
It also provided the strongest evidence that although Tassie continues to consolidate its reputation for ultra-fine chardonnay and pinot noir, it is riesling that is moving fastest, overtaking sauvignon blanc and a patchy array of pinot gris/grigio. However, there is a worrying and unwarranted attempt to pump whatever muscles Tassie chardonnay and pinot noir might possess in a rich, aldehydic, oak-derived Krug kind-of fashion.

A bright future predicted for NZ Pinot Noir
The New Zealand wine industry received some good news about Pinot Noir this week, with some of the worlds most influential wine experts predicting a very bright future. Nearly 500 delegates from 15 countries spent four days at Pinot Noir 2007 discussing, learning about and of course, tasting, New Zealand Pinot Noir.

Rose outlook: Dont blush if you like pink wine, say Boston Wine ...
Thanks to the film "Sideways," he has sold record amounts of pinot noir for the last few years and couldn't give away the merlots maligned in the movie. If you are having pasta in a heavy red sauce, think about a lighter red wine, like a pinot noir.

Pinot Noir showcase opens in Wellington
Pinot Noir 2007 has attracted nearly 500 delegates from all over the world, to spend four days talking, debating, learning about and of course, tasting, New Zealands top red wine. As plantings continue to increase, so too will Pinot Noirs contribution to achieving the wine industrys ambitious export goals and to our overall economy.

Pinot Noir 2007 Event Opens
Overseas visitors have been attracted to an annual event celebrating New Zealand pinot noir wines which starts in Wellington today. Pinot Noir 2007 chairman Steve Smith says more registrations than ever before have been received, and there has been strong international interest.

Pinot growing in popularity
Wine drinkers in the lucrative US market are developing a taste for the rich flavours and soft tannins of pinot noir. Sales of pinot noir in US supermarkets and off-licence premises have shown double digit growth in the past year according to results of a survey released by ACNielsen.

Lovely matches
And so does fruity Pinot Noir with Maguro sashimi. A general rule of complement: Aromatic duck with aged Burgundy or Pinot Noir, butter sauced dishes with oaked and buttery Chardonnay work well.

Big steps for NZ pinot industry - experts
New Zealand has achieved as much with pinot noir in 20 years as other countries have over two centuries, according to one French wine critic at the Pinot Noir 2007 event in Wellington. Nearly 500 delegates from 15 countries discussed, learned about and tasted local pinot noir during the four-day Wellington event which ended yesterday.

Washington Post
The Firepeak Vineyard's mild, foggy climate is particularly suited to the pinot noir grape. Grapes100 percent pinot noir from seven different clones (sub-varieties).

Single-minded
There's no doubt Stephen Shelmerdine is pleased with his newest wines as he pours another glass of sauvignon blanc, then chardonnay and finally a pinot noir that completes the trio under the Phi label. While he made a few barrels of chardonnay and pinot noir from the 2002 vintage, proof that Lusatia was producing wonderful fruit, the 2005 pinot noir and chardonnay and the '06 sauvignon blanc mark the beginning commercially.