Wineletter #250 April 2019

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir, the grape variety behind the great wines of Burgundy, is a somewhat fickle friend to its protagonists. Temperamental, notoriously difficult to grow and known for driving more than one winemaker to the edge, at its very best, Pinot Noir is responsible for some of the most sublime wines in the world. Light of hue and body, it is nonetheless rich in flavour and character, with an innate ability to extract the most intricate subtleties from the region and the site in which it’s grown. Very much the New Zealand wine industry’s Great Red Hope, second only in plantings and pickings to Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir responds well to New Zealand’s cool climate. As we sashay our way through this country’s primary Pinot regions, we take the time to check in as well on what the rest of the world is doing with this most intriguing of grapes, tipping our hats to Pinot Noir Central, aka Burgundy, before sampling a touch of the Teutonic and immersing ourselves in the various stylings of the New World. Happy travels.