How to Choose a Pinot Noir
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Everything about Pinot Noir - What to Pair it With and How to Pick a Good One
According to an article in Wine News, "Pinot Noir has been the king of grapes in Burgundy (France) for 1,000 years."
Pinot Noir wine was little known by the average wine drinker before the movie "Sideways" came out in 2005. After the movie was released, Pinot Noir sales exploded.
Miles, the main character, tries to explain to Maya, the female character, what he loves about Pinot Noir (see the quote below). The funny thing is Miles is also describing himself.
Pinot Noir grapes are temperamental and require the right conditions and tender, loving care. They need a special winemaker, who can bring out the full potential of this grape.
On this page, you will learn about how to select a Pinot Noir wine, how to serve it, what food to pair it with, and who in the wine world is coaxing it into its fullest expression.
Quote from The Movie Sideways
Pinot Noir 101 with Jane Nickles
Pinot Noir originated in Burgundy, where growing conditions are ideal. Other excellent areas for producing Pinot Noir are Oregon, the Sonoma Coast in California and New Zealand, which have similar growing conditions. Jane Nickles tells all about the evolution of this grape in this short, informational video.
The Flavor and Aroma of Pinot Noir
The Wine Pros say "Pinot Noir's aroma can be intense with a ripe-grape or black cherry aroma, accented by cinnamon, sassafras, or mint. Also ripe tomato, mushroom, and barnyard. It is full-bodied and rich but not heavy, high in alcohol, yet neither acidic nor tannic, flavorful but delicate. Its most appealing quality may be its soft, velvety texture."
Selecting a Pinot Noir
The best way to find a good Pinot Noir is to taste a variety of them and find wineries that you like!
* Visit a winery if you can.
* Ask your local wine merchant for a recommendation.
* Order a glass at a restaurant.
* Read reviews online.
When we were in Napa, California, we tried a Pinot Noir by Whetstone that we really liked. After returning home, I looked up the wine on Cellar Tracker, a great website where people post their tasting notes on wine.
Click on the picture to see the full screen.
This website gives me tasting notes and ratings for different vintages of Whetstone Pinot Noirs. There is also a link to Wine Searcher.com, which tells me where I can find this wine for sale. For example, the Whetstone 2007 Pleasant Hill Vineyard Sonoma is available from "We Speak Wine" for $34.99.
Pinot Noir by sclepper
More Pinot Posters
Where to Buy Pinot Noir Online
Be aware that, due to wine shipping laws, wine cannot be delivered to certain states. Many wineries and wine shippers cannot ship to the following states: AK, GA, HI, IN, KY, MA, ME, MD, MI, MT, NH, TN, TX, PA, PR, UT and WY.
My state of Indiana is included on this list. According to the laws of this state, some wineries will deliver if you have visited the winery in person. So, we have some shipped here and some shipped to dear friends in Illinois.
- WineAccess.com
- 90+ rated Pinot Noirs.
- The Wine Buyer
- Out of Wayne, NJ
- Oregon PInot Noir Club
- Shop by winery.
- brix25
- The finest California wines shipped directly to you.
Tasting Pinot Noir
with Gary Vaynerchuk
Pairing Pinot Noir with Food
It's great with salmon...
Pinot Noir in the News
- No Place Like Home: Pinot and Paella
- At the Pinot and Paella Festival, you'll find all kinds of proof, There's No Place Like Home. When it comes to wine, Marc Goldberg and Maggi DiAmbrosia are kind of focused....at least on what they produce. "Well it took twenty years of hard work and ...
- Wine of the Week: 2010 Villa San-Juliette 'Fat Monk' Pinot Noir
- But I would like to second that halo for making a terrific everyday pinot noir at an everyday price. I first tasted this wine when an astute friend brought it to dinner months ago. The California appellation means the grapes could come from anywhere in ...
- Rediscover the Art of Fine Dining with Waipara Hills Pinot
- Waipara Hills delivers the ultimate taste for the winter with their 2010 Waipara Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir - the perfect companion for completing a fine dining experience. A distinguished wine that will enhance your meal, the 2010 Waipara Hills ...
- Summery whites and robust reds at Terroir
- There seemed to be a wider range of whites including Pinot Gris and Rieslings as well as the Chardonnay. Norman Hardie had a great reasonably priced Riesling that's 50/50 County & Niagara grapes. It was one of several good Rieslings being poured ...
What are they saying on Twitter?
about Pinot Noir
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- mikerism101
- First look at 2012 @isle_vineyard pinot noir today. Keeping my eye out for finished wine. Looks very good so far...
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- HaileyGlover2
- 2006 Gruet Cuvee Gilbert Gruet Pinot Noir New Mexico 750ml: If you're familiar with Gruet Methode Champenoise, t... http://t.co/uiIVcqll
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- deegoldie
- A quiet night in with some saved by the bell and Pinot Noir #perfection
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- PenelopeSchnei3
- 2006 Casa Marin Litoral Vineyard Pinot Noir Chile 750ml: Wine Advocate ReviewRated 93The red wines begin with th... http://t.co/Rrg0XlO1
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- NaBebidaOnline
- Compre Vinho William Cole Pinot Noir 750 ml. por apenas R$ 53,90 ou 6x sem juros na Bebida Online http://t.co/Nuj5gLwF
"Growing pinot is about passion,
and it's addictive."
- Peter Figge, From Wine News
Wine Spectator Top 100 for 2011
And the #1 Wine was a Pinot Noir!
Click on the photo to take you to the Wine Spectator site for the entire top 100 wines of 2011.#1Score of 95 $52 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2009
#5 Score of 95 $50 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2008
#14 Score of 95 $45 Failla Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Keefer Ranch 2009
#22 Score of 94 $44 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2009
#30 Score of 94 $42 Sineann Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton District Resonance Vineyard 2009
#38 Score of 93 $33 Rex Hill Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2009
#75 Score of 93 $29 Loring Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2009
#85 Score of 97 $125 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Grace Vineyard 2008
Other Best Pinot Noir LIsts
- The Prince of Pinot
- ** RECOMMENDED SITE**
William "Rusty" Gaffney is a retired ophthalmologist who has had a love affair with Pinot Noir for nearly forty years. - Wine&Spirits Magazine - Top Ten Pinot Noirs
- Over the last twelve months, Wine & Spirits tasted 491 pinot noirs. The following 14 wines received the strongest praise from our critics. A list of all pinot noir wines tasted, with the recommended wines highlighted, is available on www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com.
- Oregon Pinot Noir Club
- The Oregon Pinot Noir Club is located in the Center of Oregon Wine Country. Travelling frequently to barrel-taste with winemakers, we seek out and acquire the top Oregon wines, including single-vineyard bottlings, special cuvees, and limited-release wines that are often not available outside of Oregon.
- Food and Wine Magazine
- 30 best Pinot Noirs.
- Seattle Wine Blog
- Ten best Oregon Pinot Noirs by Gene Stein.
- The Pinot Report
- For all those who love western Pinot Noir, the PinotReport is more than just another wine-review newsletter. My fascination with great Pinot Noir is as much about the people involved in making the wine, the wine regions and the foods that match well at the table-in short, the lifestyle surrounding the wines.
- Finding Oregon's Finest Pinots
- Food & Wine Magazine
Planning a Visit to France?
Pinot Noir grapes come from Burgundy
in McMinnville, Oregon
We were lucky enough to attend this year, 2011, for the 25th anniversary. Pictures below.
Countdown to International Pinot Noir Celebration
Photos from IPNC 2011
Keynote speaker Josh Wesson and IPNC co-founder Susan Sokol Blosser at the closing.
Excerpt from "At Home in the Vineyard"
The Grail - a book about Pinot Noir
by Brian Doyle
Grail, The: A year ambling & shambling through an Oregon vineyard in pursuit of the best pinot noir wine in the whole wild world
Amazon Price: $11.06 (as of 05/29/2012)
List Price: $18.95
A year with winemaker Jesse Lange from Lange Winery - in pursuit of the best pinot noir in the world. Lange just happens to be one of our favorite Oregon wineries, so I loved reading this book.
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
More Books on Pinot Noir
Available through Amazon
Riedel Pinot Noir Wine Glasses
Riedel Vinum XL Pinot Noir Glass, Set of 2
Amazon Price: $49.95 (as of 05/29/2012)
List Price: $59.00
Riedel is the brand for wine glasses.
Usually ships in 24 hours
Pinot Noir is Good For You!
"The Pinot Noir grape has a tendency to produce the highest amounts of the antioxidant resveratrol, as shown by Cornell researcher LeRoy Creasy.
Show off your love for Pinot Noir
with these products from Zazzle
Pinot Noir Princess by WIneObsessions
Create a customized tee shirt using Zazzle
Pinot Noir Military-style T-shirt - olive by wittywinewear
See more Pinot noir T-Shirts
Pinot Noir Wine Diva by WIneObsessions
Many more t-shirts online at zazzle.com
Have you tasted a good Pinot Noir lately?
Please don't judge Pinot Noir on the first one you taste. This is a wine which when it is good is very, very good and when it is bad, it is horrible. A lot depends on the winemaker and the growing conditions with this grape.
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BestMensSkinCare
Jan 25, 2012 @ 2:54 pm | delete
- I highly recommend the Riverbench Pinot Noirs. They are excellent and easy on the wallet with bursting flavors.
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kimmanleyort
Feb 23, 2012 @ 8:55 am | delete
- Thanks for the recommendation!
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anusk1313
Sep 30, 2011 @ 4:37 pm | delete
- Waw... I didn't know there are so many types of Pinot Noir.... Great lens
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resabi
Dec 10, 2010 @ 9:48 pm | delete
- Beautiful lens. You present a lot of information in a very digestible way. I love the quotes interspersed. I'm not a very experienced wine drinker, so this has taught me a lot. Thanks. Lensrolling to my Great Wine Lover Gifts lens.
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winelove
Nov 20, 2010 @ 9:24 am | delete
- This is a great lens! I leanred a lot more about Pinot Noir now!
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About the Author
Other Wine Pages
by kimmanleyort
My husband and I love to drink wine and Pinot Noir is one of our favorites. We even went out to the annual Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon one year.... more »
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At Home in the Vineyards
by Susan Sokol Blosser
At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life
Amazon Price: $12.52 (as of 05/29/2012)
Written by the owner of Sokol Blosser Winery, one of the first wineries in Oregon, it gives a fascinating look at the growth of wine in Oregon, especially Pinot Noir.
Buy the Movie Sideways
on Amazon
Sideways (Full Screen Edition)
Amazon Price: $2.45 (as of 05/29/2012)
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