postcards from the edge
By Andrea Eby, Sommelier( ISG, CSW)
Some grapes like to travel. Varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are quick to dash off to the latest viticultural“ it” spot, eager to strut their stuff and prove just how adaptable they are. Blessed with a penchant for making easy-drinking, recognizable wines in all but the most extreme climates, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay can be found thriving in nearly every New World wine region. The same cannot be said for Pinot Noir. Infinitely more anxious than Cab Sauv or Chard, Pinot Noir tends to do a LOT of research before it jumps on a plane.
My Roots
Photo by Carol Fletcher
The Holy Land
Pinot Noir grew up in the bucolic corner of France, known as the Côte d’ Or( Golden Slope). Here, it has produced some of the world’ s most iconic wines. With archeological evidence suggesting that viticulture has been practiced in the area since the second century CE, Pinot Noir has had plenty of time to make itself at home. Since the responsibility for these historic vineyards passed into the control of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages, Pinot Noir has been perfecting its craft in the legendary vineyards. The Pinot Noirs of Burgundy are fabled for their sensual perfumes, earthy subtleties and silky tannins. For centuries, winemakers have chased after the perfect Pinot Noir, like Indiana
Jones after the Holy Grail. Many would claim that you haven’ t really made wine until you’ ve made a great Pinot Noir. As a result of winemaker passion and consumer desire, Pinot Noir has been forced to travel far from its homeland in Burgundy.
Although Pinot Noir has now done its fair share of travelling, it remains a grape variety that is extremely picky about where it stays— no threestar accommodations for Pinot Noir. The thousands of years that the grape has spent adapting to the marginal climates of Burgundy and Champagne have had a definite effect. Unlike its friends Cabernet and Chardonnay, Pinot Noir thrives in more extreme areas— viticultural zones on the edge.
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