The Family Tree Where in the world is your Pinot?
Pinot Noir: Argentina, Austria, Australia, Canada (Ontario, BC, Nova Scotia), Chile, France (Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace, Loire Valley, south of France), Germany, Italy (northeast), New Zealand, South Africa, USA (California, Oregon)
Pinot Gris/Grigio: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, France (Alsace), Germany, Hungary, Italy (northeast), Canada (Okanagan, Niagara), New Zealand, USA (California, Oregon)
Pinot Blanc: France, Germany, Italy (northeast), Austria, Hungary, USA (California, Oregon)
Pinot Meunier: Canada (Nova Scotia), France (Champagne), Germany, Austria, Australia
The Heartbreaker: Pinot Noir By Ricki-Lee Podolecki In the Pinot family, Pinot Noir is the head of the household. Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc are mutations of Pinot Noir, thus they are actually all the same variety but with different expressions. The grape has always held a superior place in the wine world. It all starts in its birthplace, Burgundy, where Pinot Noir’s main purpose is to highlight the vineyards it grows in and show off the unique terroir of the region. One site in an absolute premium position, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, produces a single-vineyard Grand Cru Romanée-Conti wine 38 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop
that costs upwards of US$ 20,000 per bottle. It’s basically impossible to get your hands on, and even if you do happen to see one for sale, for many, weighing the options of buying a brand new car or a bottle of wine would be difficult. Pinot Noir has also had its Hollywood moment: its popularity in the mainstream surged in 2004 because of the movie Sideways, where the main character gushed over his love for Pinot Noir. Wine professionals everywhere love Pinot Noir, but this beautiful wine has a dark side: it has been hailed as “the heartbreak grape.” Pinot Noir’s unfortunate nickname stems from its high-maintenance reputation in the vineyards and the winery. The thin skins of Pinot Noir are tricky to maintain while it is growing, often breaking open and causing rot and disease that spoil the fruit. It truly is heartbreaking
