Weekend Wine Word - Pinot Noir

• Posted: March 14, 2008
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• Author: James DeRosa
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• Filed under: Weekend Wine Word
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• Tags: Grape, Pinot Noir, Variety

Pinot noir – pronounced ‘pi-no-nwar’ is a red wine grape variety. Also refering to wines produced predominantly from pinot noir grapes.

The leaves of Pinot noir are usually smaller than those of Cabernet Sauvignon, although larger than those of Syrah. The name is derived from the French words for "pine" and "black" alluding to the varietals’ tightly clustered dark purple pine cone shaped bunches of fruit. Pinot noir tends to produce narrow trunks and branches. In the vineyard it is sensitive to light exposure, soil types, pruning techniques and yield levels. Its thin skin makes it highly vulnerable to bunch rot and other diseases. The vines themselves are prone to downy mildew, leaf roll, and fanleaf. These complications have given the grape the reputation of being difficult to grow. In the winery it is sensitive to fermentation methods and yeast strains.

"minx of a vine" - Jancis Robinson

"God made cabernet sauvignon whereas the devil made pinot noir." - André Tchelistcheff

Pinot noir is a primeval variety that may be only 1-2 generations removed from naturally wild vines. The origins of the variety are unclear: In De re rustica, Columella describes a grape variety similar to Pinot Noir in Burgundy during the 1st century A.D., however, vines have grown wild as far north as Belgium in the days before phylloxera, and it is possible that Pinot represents a self-sufficient domestication of Vitis vinifera.

Pinot noir grapes are grown around the world, mostly in the cooler regions, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France. It is commonly considered to bring into being some of the finest wines in the world, and as we have learned is a highly complex variety to cultivate and transform into wine.

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