Errazuriz Max I Vineyard, Aconcagua Valley, Chile( Photo by Carolyn Wells-Kramer)
Problem Child
By Mike Muirhead, Sommelier( ISG, CMS), CSW
Eventually, every wine nerd wants to make wine. It is a natural progression. We start with the wine bug, graduate to wine nerd-dom and then think that we can do it ourselves. The ultimate grape that every nerd wants a crack at is Pinot Noir. On the surface, this is a curious choice. Pinot Noir is so finicky in the vineyard and the winery that it is called the“ Heartbreak Grape.” It has scent descriptors that commonly include“ compost” and“ dirty diapers”— and those only show up in the best Pinots! But here’ s the thing about Pinot Noir: when wine lovers find that bottle of Pinot that blows their minds, they spend the rest of their lives trying to find that next bottle that can do the same.
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