110-466: Pinot noir ( French: [pino nwaʁ] ), also known as Pinot nero , is a red- wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera . The name also refers to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for pine and black. The word pine alludes to the grape variety having tightly clustered, pinecone—shaped bunches of fruit. Pinot noir
220-586: A vinegar smell. In medieval Europe , the Roman Catholic Church supported wine because the clergy required it for the Mass . Monks in France made wine for years, aging it in caves. An old English recipe that survived in various forms until the 19th century calls for refining white wine from bastard—bad or tainted bastardo wine. Later, the descendants of the sacramental wine were refined for
330-418: A "minx of a vine" and André Tchelistcheff declared that "God made cabernet sauvignon whereas the devil made Pinot noir". It is much less tolerant of harsh vineyard conditions than the likes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot or Grenache . However, Pinot noir wines are among the most popular in the world. Joel L. Fleishman of Vanity Fair describes them as "the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous
440-919: A base of city-states along the Mediterranean coast centered around modern day Lebanon (as well as including small parts of Israel / Palestine and coastal Syria ); however, the Nuragic culture in Sardinia already had a custom of consuming wine before the arrival of the Phoenicians. The wines of Byblos were exported to Egypt during the Old Kingdom and then throughout the Mediterranean. Evidence for this includes two Phoenician shipwrecks from 750 BCE, found with their cargoes of wine still intact, which were discovered by Robert Ballard As
550-476: A chimera of almost any other pinot. As such, suggestions that Pinot noir is the fundamental and original form of the Pinots are both misleading and highly tendentious. Indeed, if anything, Pinot blanc may be the original human-selected form of Pinot, although given the genetic variability of this longstanding genetic line, thinking of Pinot as a familial cluster of grapes sharing a fundamental and common genetic core
660-427: A chimerical mutation (in the epidermal cells) which makes the shoot tips and leaves prominently hairy-white and the vine a little smaller and early ripening. Thus, Pinot Meunier is a chimera with two tissue layers of different genetic makeup, both of which contain a mutation making them non-identical to, and mutations of, Pinot noir (as well as of any of the other color forms of pinot). As such, Pinot Meunier cannot be
770-465: A combination of these three materials. This is probably one of the main reasons why wine derived from grapes has historically been more prevalent by far than other types, and why specific types of fruit wines have generally been confined to the regions in which the fruits were native or introduced for other reasons. Mead, also called honey wine, is created by fermenting honey with water, sometimes with various fruits, spices, grains, or hops . As long as
880-524: A common practice due to their resistance to phylloxera , a root louse that eventually kills the vine. In the late 19th century, most of Europe's vineyards (excluding some of the driest in the south) were devastated by the infestation, leading to widespread vine deaths and eventual replanting. Grafting is done in every wine-producing region in the world except in Argentina and the Canary Islands –
990-517: A consortium of researchers, announced the sequencing of the genome of Pinot noir. It is the first fruit crop to be sequenced, and only the fourth flowering plant. In the Middle Ages , the nobility and church of northeast France grew some form of Pinot in favored plots, while peasants grew a large amount of the much more productive, but otherwise distinctly inferior, Gouais blanc . Cross-pollination may have resulted from such close proximity, with
1100-634: A dual system of region of origin and product quality. New World wines —those made outside the traditional wine regions of Europe—are usually classified by grape rather than by terroir or region of origin, although there have been unofficial attempts to classify them by quality. According to Canadian Food and Drug Regulations, wine in Canada is an alcoholic drink that is produced by the complete or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes, grape must, products derived solely from fresh grapes, or any combination of them. There are many materials added during
1210-520: A filter allows the removal of bitter sediments that may have formed in the wine. Sediment is more common in older bottles, but aeration may benefit younger wines. During aeration, a younger wine's exposure to air often "relaxes" the drink, making it smoother and better integrated in aroma, texture, and flavor. Older wines generally fade (lose their character and flavor intensity) with extended aeration. Despite these general rules, breathing does not necessarily benefit all wines. Wine may be tasted as soon as
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#17327724295341320-526: A grape variety similar to Pinot noir in Burgundy during the 1st century CE; however, vines have grown wild as far north as Belgium in the days before phylloxera , and it is possible that pinot represents a direct domestication of (hermaphrodite-flowered) Vitis sylvestris . Ferdinand Regner argued that Pinot noir is a cross between Pinot Meunier (Schwarzriesling) and Traminer , but this claim has since been refuted. In fact, Pinot Meunier has been shown to be
1430-421: A lesser extent currant and many other fine small red and black berry fruits. Traditional red Burgundy is famous for its savory fleshiness and "farmyard" aromas (this latter is sometimes associated with thiol and other reductive characters), but changing fashions, modern winemaking techniques, and new easier-to-grow clones have favored a lighter, more fruit-prominent, cleaner style. The wine's color, when young,
1540-449: A mineral flavor due to the presence of water-soluble salts as a result of limestone's presence in the vineyard's soil. Wine aroma comes from volatile compounds released into the air. Vaporization of these compounds can be accelerated by twirling the wine glass or serving at room temperature. Many drinkers prefer to chill red wines that are already highly aromatic, like Chinon and Beaujolais . Sta. Rita Hills AVA Sta. Rita Hills
1650-592: A more palatable taste. This gave rise to modern viticulture in French wine , Italian wine , Spanish wine , and these wine grape traditions were brought into New World wine . For example, Mission grapes were brought by Franciscan monks to New Mexico in 1628 beginning the New Mexico wine heritage, these grapes were also brought to California which started the California wine industry. Thanks to Spanish wine culture, these two regions eventually evolved into
1760-540: A more powerful, fruit-forward, and darker wine that can tend toward Syrah (or even new world Malbec ) in depth, extract, and alcoholic content. Pinot noir is also used in the production of Champagne (usually along with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier ) and is planted in most of the world's wine-growing regions for use in both still and sparkling wines. Pinot noir grown for dry table wines is generally low- yielding and of lesser vigor than many other varieties, whereas when grown for use in sparkling wines (e.g., Champagne), it
1870-440: A pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the varietals used and wine-making techniques. There are three primary ways to produce rosé wine: Skin contact (allowing dark grape skins to stain the wort ), saignée (removing juice from the must early in fermentation and continuing fermentation of the juice separately), and blending of a red and white wine (uncommon and discouraged in most wine growing regions). Rosé wines have
1980-505: A parent of Pinot noir, and, indeed, it seems likely that chimerical mutations which can generate Pinot gris from other pinot (principally blanc or noir) may in turn, be the genetic pathway for the emergence of Pinot Meunier. Pinot gris is a pinot color sport (and can arise by mutation of Pinot noir or Pinot blanc), presumably representing a somatic mutation in either the VvMYBA1 or VvMYBA2 genes that control grape berry color. Pinot blanc
2090-484: A perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic". Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon calls them "sex in a glass". The tremendously broad range of bouquets , flavors, textures, and impressions that Pinot noir can produce sometimes confuses tasters. Broadly, the wines tend to be of light to medium body with an aroma reminiscent of black and/or red cherry , raspberry and to
2200-464: A strongly acid cation exchange resin in the sodium ion form, or a weakly basic anion exchange resin in the hydroxyl ion form. In the United States, for a wine to be vintage-dated and labeled with a country of origin or American Viticultural Area (AVA; e.g., Sonoma Valley ), 95% of its volume must be from grapes harvested in that year. If a wine is not labeled with a country of origin or AVA
2310-440: A wide range of sweetness levels from dry Provençal rosé to sweet White Zinfandels and blushes. Rosé wines are made from a wide variety of grapes all over the world. Sometimes called amber wines, these are wines made with white grapes but with the skins allowed to soak during pressing, similar to red and rosé wine production. They are notably tannic , and usually made dry. These are effervescent wines, made in any of
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#17327724295342420-520: A yearlong period for producers in the AVA to change their wine labels . In 2016, TTB expanded the approximately 33,380 acres (52 sq mi) “Sta. Rita Hills” viticultural area by approximately 2,296 acres (4 sq mi). Sta. Rita Hills is a sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley AVA , located between the towns of Lompoc and Buellton with the Purisima Hills on the north and
2530-597: Is a Californian misnomer for a UCD clone series of upright-growing ('Pinot Droit') Pinot noir. Planted mostly in California it also became established in New Zealand . In New Zealand, its disposition to poor fruit set in cool-flowering conditions can be problematic. It has been claimed that the 'Gamay Beaujolais' Pinot noir was brought to California by Paul Masson. But it was collected in France by Harold Olmo for UCD in
2640-561: Is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine. The grape's tendency to produce tightly packed clusters makes it susceptible to several viticultural hazards involving rot that require diligent canopy management . The thin skins and low levels of phenolic compounds lend pinot to producing mostly lightly colored , medium-bodied and low- tannin wines that can often go through phases of uneven and unpredictable aging . When young, wines made from Pinot noir tend to have red fruit aromas of cherries, raspberries, and strawberries. As
2750-422: Is a further mutation and can either naturally arise from or give rise to Pinot gris or Pinot noir; the mutation-reversion path is multi-directional, therefore. The general DNA profiles of both Pinot gris and blanc are identical to Pinot noir; and other Pinots, Pinot mour, and Pinot teinturier are also genetically similarly close. Almost any given Pinot (of whatever berry color) can occur as a complete mutation or as
2860-545: Is almost certainly nearest the truth. It is this core around which the sub-varietally identifying color variations (blanc, rouge, noir, gris, rose, violet, tenteurier, moure, etc.) occur, along with the more striking chimeric morphological mutation that is Pinot Meunier, and the interesting further mutations of this variety as Pinot Meunier gris and as the non-hairy mutation which the Germans classify as 'Samtrot' (effectively 'Pinot red velvet'). A white berried sport of Pinot noir
2970-542: Is an American Viticultural Area located in Santa Barbara County , California . From its creation in 2001 through 2006, the wine appellation was officially named Santa Rita Hills AVA . The formal name change was the result of a protest by and subsequent negotiations with Vina Santa Rita , a very large Chilean wine producer that was concerned about the AVA name diluting its international brand value. The name change took effect on January 5, 2006, with
3080-488: Is best known for Chardonnay , Pinot noir, and cool climate Syrah varietal wines. The AVA petition was submitted from viticulturists and vintners in the area under the direction of J. Richard Sanford (Sanford Winery), Bryan Babcock (Babcock Vineyards and Winery), and Wesley D. Hagen (Vineyard Manager of Clos Pepe Vineyards). Wineries and locations in Sta. Rita Hills were featured in the 2004 U.S. film Sideways . Sideways Fest
3190-438: Is commonly used in champagne . Dry (low sugar) white wine is the most common, derived from the complete fermentation of the juice, however sweet white wines such as Moscato d'Asti are also made. A rosé wine gains color from red grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine . It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the skin contact method . The color can range from
3300-494: Is either a borrowing from Proto-Indo-European or the lexeme was specifically borrowed from Proto-Armenian * ɣʷeinyo -, whence Armenian gini . An alternate hypothesis by Fähnrich supposes * ɣwino -, a native Kartvelian word derived from the verbal root * ɣun - ('to bend'). See * ɣwino - for more. All these theories place the origin of the word in the same geographical location, South Caucasus, that has been established based on archeological and biomolecular studies as
3410-413: Is extremely high. However, initial results were not promising for several reasons, including high levels of leaf roll virus in older plantings, and, during the 1960s and 1970s, the limited number and indifferent quality of Pinot noir clones available for planting. However, since this time importation of high-quality clones and much-improved viticulture and winemaking has seen Pinot noir, from Martinborough in
Pinot noir - Misplaced Pages Continue
3520-597: Is fortified with brandy . In these latter cases, the term "wine" refers to the similarity in alcohol content rather than to the production process. The commercial use of the English word "wine" (and its equivalent in other languages) is protected by law in many jurisdictions. Wine is usually made from one or more varieties of the European species Vitis vinifera , such as Pinot noir , Chardonnay , Cabernet Sauvignon , Gamay and Merlot . When one of these varieties
3630-574: Is from the late 4th-century BCE writings of Chanakya , the chief minister of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya . In his writings, Chanakya condemns the use of alcohol while chronicling the emperor and his court's frequent indulgence of a style of wine known as madhu . The ancient Romans planted vineyards near garrison towns so wine could be produced locally rather than shipped over long distances. Some of these areas are now world-renowned for wine production. The Romans discovered that burning sulfur candles inside empty wine vessels kept them fresh and free from
3740-563: Is from the present-day Georgia (6000 BCE), Persia (5000 BCE), Italy , and Armenia (4000 BCE). New World wine has some connection to alcoholic beverages made by the indigenous peoples of the Americas but is mainly connected to later Spanish traditions in New Spain . Later, as Old World wine further developed viticulture techniques, Europe would encompass three of the largest wine-producing regions . Based on statistics gathered by
3850-500: Is generally cropped at significantly higher yields. In addition to being used for the production of sparkling and still red wine, Pinot noir is also sometimes used for rosé still wines, Beaujolais Nouveau -styled wines, and even vin gris white wines. Its juice is uncolored. Pinot noir is almost certainly a very ancient variety that may be only one or two generations removed from wild Vitis sylvestris vines. Its origins are nevertheless unclear: In De re rustica , Columella describes
3960-510: Is generally used to make Pinot-noir d'Alsace [ fr ] , similar in character to red Burgundy and Beaujolais wines but usually consumed chilled. Prominent examples are Rouge de Barr and Rouge d'Ottrott . Pinot noir is the only red wine produced in Alsace. Among countries planted with Pinot noir, Germany ranks third behind France and the United States. In Germany it is called Spätburgunder ( lit. ' Late Burgundian ' ) and
4070-608: Is grown around the world, mostly in cooler climates, and the variety is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France . Pinot noir is now used to make red wines around the world, as well as champagne , sparkling white wines such as the Italian Franciacorta , and English sparkling wines . Regions that have gained a reputation for red Pinot noir wines include the Willamette Valley of Oregon ;
4180-920: Is grown in Rheinhessen and Ahr area and can produce good wines. In Italy, where Pinot noir is known as Pinot nero, it has traditionally been cultivated in South Tyrol, the Collio Goriziano, Franciacorta, Oltrepò Pavese, Veneto, Friuli and Trentino . It is also planted in Tuscany. In South Tyrol the variety is first noted 1838 as "Bourgoigne noir" in a grape wine buy list of the "k.u.k. Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft von Tirol und Vorarlberg, Niederlassung Bozen" and later called "Blauburgunder" like in Austria. The first analytical descriptions are from Edmund Mach (founder of Ist. Agr. San Michele a.A. ) in
4290-605: Is grown in many of the wine regions from the north to the south, but the vast majority of Pinot noir is grown in Catalonia , where it is used in still wines and Cava , Spanish sparkling wine. It is an authorised variety in some of the Catalan DOPs. In 2015 there were 1,063 hectares (2,630 acres) of Pinot noir grown in Spain. Pinot noir is a popular grape variety all over Switzerland. In German-speaking regions of Switzerland it
4400-454: Is highly reflective of its terroir , with different regions producing very different wines. Its thin skin makes it susceptible to bunch rot and similar fungal diseases. The vines themselves are susceptible to powdery mildew , especially in Burgundy infection by leaf roll, and fanleaf viruses cause significant vine health problems. These complications have given the grape a reputation for being difficult to grow: Jancis Robinson calls pinot
4510-520: Is now the most widely planted red grape. Historically much German wine produced from Pinot noir was pale, often rosé like the red wines of Alsace ; over-cropping and bunch-rot were major contributing factors to this. However, recently, despite the northerly climate, darker, richer reds have been produced, often barrel ( barrique ) aged, in regions such as Baden , Palatinate (Pfalz) and Ahr . These are rarely exported and are often expensive in Germany for
Pinot noir - Misplaced Pages Continue
4620-475: Is often called Blauburgunder. Pinot noir wines are produced in Neuchâtel, Schaffhausen, Zürich, St. Gallen and Bündner Herrschaft ( Grisons ). In Valais, Pinot noir is also blended with Gamay to produce the well-known Dôle. Wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented fruit . Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide , releasing heat in
4730-497: Is often compared to that of garnet , frequently being much lighter than that of other red wines. This is entirely natural and not a winemaking fault, as Pinot noir has a lower skin anthocyanin (coloring matter) content than most other classical red/black varieties. Callistephin , the 3- O -glucoside of pelargonidin, an orange-colored anthocyanidin, is also found in the berry skins of Pinot noir. However, an emerging, increasingly evident style from California and New Zealand highlights
4840-404: Is small and conico-cylindrical, shaped like a pinecone . Some viticultural historians believe this shape similarity may have given rise to the name. In the vineyard, Pinot noir is sensitive to wind and frost, cropping levels (it must be low yielding for the production of quality wines), soil types, and pruning techniques. In the winery, it is sensitive to fermentation methods and yeast strains and
4950-442: Is the family of rare teinturier varieties, which actually have red flesh and produce red juice. To make white wine, grapes are pressed quickly with the juice immediately drained away from the grape skins. The grapes used are typically white grape varieties , though red grapes may be used if the winemaker is careful not to let the skin stain the wort during the separation of the pulp-juice. For example, pinot noir (a red grape)
5060-405: Is used as the predominant grape (usually defined by law as minimums of 75% to 85%), the result is a " varietal " as opposed to a "blended" wine. Blended wines are not necessarily inferior to varietal wines, rather they are a different style of wine-making. Wine can also be made from other species of grape or from hybrids , created by the genetic crossing of two species. V. labrusca (of which
5170-656: Is used in the cheapest of wines. The bottles used for sparkling wine must be thick to withstand the pressure of the gas behind the cork , which can be up to 6 standard atmospheres (88 psi). This refers to sweet wines that have a high level of sugar remaining after fermentation . There are various ways of increasing the amount of sugar in a wine, yielding products with different strengths and names. Icewine , Port , Sauternes , Tokaji Aszú , Trockenbeerenauslese , and Vin Santo are some examples. Wines from other fruits , such as apples and berries, are usually named after
5280-702: The Canberra District in the Australian Capital Territory. Best's Wines in Great Western has what is believed to have some of the world's oldest Pinot noir plantings—having survived phyloxera, these vines were planted in 1868. In Austria, Pinot noir is usually called Blauburgunder (literally Blue Burgundy) and produced in Burgenland and Lower Austria . Austrian Pinot noir wines are dry red wines similar in character to
5390-840: The Carneros , Central Coast , Sonoma Coast , and Russian River AVAs of California ; the Elgin and Walker Bay wine regions of South Africa ; the Mornington Peninsula , Adelaide Hills , Great Southern , Tasmania , and Yarra Valley in Australia ; and the Central Otago , Martinborough , and Marlborough wine regions of New Zealand . Pinot noir is the most planted varietal (38%) used in sparkling wine production in Champagne and other wine regions. Pinot noir
5500-490: The Concord grape is a cultivar ), V. aestivalis , V. rupestris , V. rotundifolia and V. riparia are native North American grapes usually grown to eat fresh or for grape juice, jam, or jelly, and only occasionally made into wine. Hybridization is different from grafting . Most of the world's vineyards are planted with European Vitis vinifera vines that have been grafted onto North American species' rootstock,
5610-589: The International Organisation of Vine and Wine in 2022 the top five wine producing countries were Italy, France, Spain, the United States, and Australia. Wine has long played an important role in religion. Red wine was associated with blood by the ancient Egyptians , and was used by both the Greek cult of Dionysus and the Romans in their Bacchanalia ; Judaism also incorporates it in
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#17327724295345720-972: The Kiddush , and Christianity in the Eucharist . Egyptian , Greek , Roman , and Israeli wine cultures are still connected to these ancient roots. Similarly the largest wine regions in Italy, Spain , and France have heritages in connection to sacramental wine , likewise, viticulture traditions in the Southwestern United States started within New Spain as Catholic friars and monks first produced wines in New Mexico and California . The earliest known traces of wine are from Georgia ( c. 6000 BCE), Iran ( Persia ) ( c. 5000 BCE), Armenia ( c. 4100 BCE ), and Sicily ( c. 4000 BCE). Wine reached
5830-511: The Mediterranean Basin in the early Bronze Age and was consumed and celebrated by ancient civilizations like ancient Greece and Rome . Throughout history, wine has been consumed for its intoxicating effects . The earliest archaeological and archaeobotanical evidence for grape wine and viniculture, dating to 6000–5800 BCE was found on the territory of modern Georgia . Both archaeological and genetic evidence suggest that
5940-536: The Mycenaean Greek 𐀕𐀶𐀺𐄀𐀚𐀺 me-tu-wo ne-wo (* μέθυϝος νέϝῳ ), meaning "in (the month)" or "(festival) of the new wine", and 𐀺𐀜𐀷𐀴𐀯 wo-no-wa-ti-si , meaning "wine garden", written in Linear B inscriptions. Linear B also includes, inter alia, an ideogram for wine, i.e. 𐂖 . The ultimate Indo-European origin of the word is the subject of some continued debate. Some scholars have noted
6050-778: The Okanagan ; here it is grown predominantly on the Naramata bench and in the northern Okanagan, Lower Mainland , and Vancouver Island wine regions of British Columbia . It is also grown in the Annapolis Valley region of Nova Scotia and the Lanaudière and Brome-Missisquoi regions of Quebec. Pinot noir is produced at the Leyda Valley, one of the minor wine districts of the Aconcagua wine region of Chile and in
6160-581: The Okanagan Valley of British Columbia , and the Niagara Peninsula and Essex County regions of Ontario are the three largest producers. Some blended wine names are marketing terms whose use is governed by trademark law rather than by specific wine laws. For example, Meritage is generally a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but may also include Cabernet Franc , Petit Verdot , and Malbec . Commercial use of
6270-659: The Santa Rosa Hills on the south. The wine region is exposed to fog and coastal breezes from the nearby Pacific Ocean . The hills are oriented on an east-west axis, which allows cool ocean breezes from the Pacific Ocean to enter the valley creating a cool mesoclimate . Combined with the rocky nature of the area, the Santa Rita Hills area is well-suited for the growing Pinot noir grapes, which grow well in cool climates with rocky soil. The region
6380-513: The aroma and taste influences of their unique terroir . However, flavor differences are less desirable for producers of mass-market table wine or other cheaper wines, where consistency takes precedence. Such producers try to minimize differences in sources of grapes through production techniques such as micro-oxygenation , tannin filtration, cross-flow filtration, thin-film evaporation, and spinning cones. About 700 grapes go into one bottle of wine, approximately 2.6 pounds. Regulations govern
6490-524: The 1950s and was one of the first Pinot Noir vines this institution offered as a high-health clonal line from about 1962 onward. However, it was misleadingly identified at UCD as a 'Gamay Beaujolais' type (of Pinot noir). In general, these upright growing 'Pinot Droit' clones are highly productive (in suitable, hot-to-warm, flowering conditions) and in California and New Zealand, they give robust, burly wines favored by those who like muscle rather than charm and velvety finesse in their Pinot noir wines. In Burgundy,
6600-505: The 19th century, but much was lost to the ravages of phylloxera ; Soviet control of Moldova from 1940 to 1991 also reduced the productivity of vineyards. Pinot noir is New Zealand's largest red wine variety, and second largest variety overall behind Sauvignon blanc . In 2014, Pinot noir vines covered 5,569 hectares (13,760 acres) and produced 36,500 tonnes of grapes. Pinot noir is a grape variety whose "importance" in New Zealand
6710-661: The Bold 's role in promoting the spread of Pinot noir, holds that the reputation of Beaune wines as "the finest in the world" was a propaganda triumph of Burgundy's Valois dukes. In any event, the worldwide archetype for Pinot noir is that grown in Burgundy , where it has been cultivated since 100 AD. Burgundy is the most northerly good red wine growing district in the World. Burgundy's Pinot noir produces wines that can age well in good years, developing complex fruit and forest floor flavors as they age, often reaching peak 15 or 20 years after
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#17327724295346820-710: The Central Coast's Santa Lucia Highlands appellation, the Santa Maria Valley , and Sta. Rita Hills American Viticulture Area in Santa Barbara County. In New Zealand, it is principally grown in Martinborough , Marlborough , Waipara , and Central Otago . The leaves of Pinot noir are generally smaller than those of Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah . The vine is typically less vigorous than either of these varieties. The grape cluster
6930-484: The Pinot family, ripening in typical climates can be dispersed by as much as four, and even six weeks between the very earliest (including Précoce) clones and the very latest ripening. Virus infection and excessive cropping significantly add to the delaying of Pinot noir ripening. Gouget noir is sometimes confused as being a clone of Pinot noir but, DNA analysis has confirmed that it is a distinct variety. In August 2007,
7040-591: The Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, New Zealand, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States, and Uruguay. The United States has increasingly become a major Pinot noir producer, with some of the best regarded coming from Oregon's Willamette Valley , and California's Sonoma County with its Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. Lesser-known appellations are found in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley ,
7150-677: The UK, the name 'Wrotham Pinot' is a permitted synonym for Pinot Meunier and stems from a vine that one of the pioneers of UK viticulture , Edward Hyams, discovered in Wrotham (pronounced 'root-am' or 'root-em') in Kent in the late 1940s. It was, in all probability, the variety known as 'Miller's Burgundy,' which had been widely grown on walls and in gardens in Great Britain for many years. Archibald Barron writing in his book, Vines and Vine Culture ,
7260-909: The Uco Valley), Patagonia, Neuquén Province and Río Negro Province . Pinot noir is produced in several wine-growing areas of Australia, notably in the Southern Highlands in New South Wales, Yarra Valley , Geelong , the Bellarine Peninsula , Beechworth , South Gippsland , Sunbury , Macedon Ranges and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Adelaide Hills in South Australia, Great Southern Wine Region in Western Australia, all Tasmania, and
7370-477: The above styles (i.e, orange, red, rosé, white). They must undergo secondary fermentation to create carbon dioxide , which creates the bubbles. Two common methods of accomplishing this are the traditional method , used for Cava , Champagne , and more expensive sparkling wines, and the Charmat method , used for Prosecco , Asti , and less expensive wines. A hybrid transfer method is also used, yielding intermediate results, and simple addition of carbon dioxide
7480-427: The average wine drinker, the vintage year may not be as significant for perceived quality as had been thought, although wine connoisseurs continue to place great importance on it. Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. Wines contain many chemical compounds similar or identical to those in fruits, vegetables, and spices . The sweetness of wine is determined by the amount of residual sugar in
7590-421: The better examples. In the weekend edition of the "Financial Times" of 21/22 April 2018 Jancis Robinson wrote about ... alternatives to red burgundy As "Rhenish", German Pinot noir is mentioned several times in Shakespearean plays as a highly prized wine. There is also a smaller-berried, early ripening, lower yield variety called Frühburgunder ( Pinot Noir Précoce ; lit. ' Early Burgundian ' ), which
7700-524: The bottle is opened to determine how long it should be aerated, if at all. When tasting wine, individual flavors may also be detected, due to the complex mix of organic molecules (e.g. esters and terpenes ) that grape juice and wine can contain. Experienced tasters can distinguish between flavors characteristic of a specific grape and flavors that result from other factors in wine-making. Typical intentional flavor elements in wine—chocolate, vanilla, or coffee—are those imparted by aging in oak casks rather than
7810-852: The classification and sale of wine in many regions of the world. European wines tend to be classified by region (e.g. Bordeaux , Rioja and Chianti ), while non-European wines are most often classified by grape (e.g. Pinot noir and Merlot ). Market recognition of particular regions has recently been leading to their increased prominence on non-European wine labels. Examples of recognized non-European locales include Napa Valley , Santa Clara Valley, Sonoma Valley , Anderson Valley, and Mendocino County in California; Willamette Valley and Rogue Valley in Oregon ; Columbia Valley in Washington ; Barossa Valley in South Australia ; Hunter Valley in New South Wales ; Luján de Cuyo in Argentina ; Vale dos Vinhedos in Brazil ; Hawke's Bay and Marlborough in New Zealand ; Central Valley in Chile ; and in Canada ,
7920-496: The complex interactions between the biochemical development of the grape, the reactions involved in fermentation , the grape's growing environment ( terroir ), and the wine production process. Many countries enact legal appellations intended to define styles and qualities of wine. These typically restrict the geographical origin and permitted varieties of grapes, as well as other aspects of wine production. Wine has been produced for thousands of years. The earliest evidence of wine
8030-420: The course of the manufacture, such as yeast, concentrated grape juice, dextrose , fructose , glucose or glucose solids, invert sugar , sugar, or aqueous solutions. Calcium sulphate in such quantity that the content of soluble sulphates in the finished wine shall not exceed 0.2 percent weight by volume calculated as potassium sulphate. Calcium carbonate in such quantity that the content of tartaric acid in
8140-728: The earliest production of wine outside of Georgia was relatively later, likely having taken place elsewhere in the Southern Caucasus (which encompasses Armenia , Georgia and Azerbaijan ), or the West Asian region between Eastern Turkey , and northern Iran . The earliest known winery, from 4100 BCE, is the Areni-1 winery in Armenia . A 2003 report by archaeologists indicates a possibility that grapes were mixed with rice to produce fermented drinks in ancient China in
8250-475: The early years of the seventh millennium BCE. Pottery jars from the Neolithic site of Jiahu , Henan , contained traces of tartaric acid and other organic compounds commonly found in wine. However, other fruits indigenous to the region, such as hawthorn , cannot be ruled out. If these drinks, which seem to be the precursors of rice wine , included grapes rather than other fruits, they would have been any of
8360-464: The finished wine shall not be less than 0.15 percent weight by volume. Also, sulphurous acid , including salts thereof, in such quantity that its content in the finished wine shall not exceed 70 parts per million in the free state, or 350 parts per million in the combined state, calculated as sulphur dioxide. Caramel, amylase and pectinase at a maximum level of use consistent with good manufacturing practice. Prior to final filtration may be treated with
8470-898: The first great traders in wine ( cherem ), the Phoenicians seem to have protected it from oxidation with a layer of olive oil, followed by a seal of pinewood and resin, similar to retsina . The earliest remains of Apadana Palace in Persepolis dating back to 515 BCE include carvings depicting soldiers from the Achaemenid Empire subject nations bringing gifts to the Achaemenid king, among them Armenians bringing their famous wine . Literary references to wine are abundant in Homer (8th century BCE, but possibly relating earlier compositions), Alkman (7th century BCE), and others. In ancient Egypt , six of 36 wine amphoras were found in
8580-718: The first modern wine industry was Japanese wine , developed in 1874 after grapevines were brought back from Europe. The English word "wine" comes from the Proto-Germanic *winam , an early borrowing from the Latin vinum , Georgian ღვინო ( ghvee-no ), "wine", itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European stem * win-o- (cf. Armenian : գինի , gini ; Ancient Greek : οἶνος oinos ; Aeolic Greek : ϝ οῖνος woinos ; Hittite : wiyana ; Lycian : oino ). The earliest attested terms referring to wine are
8690-446: The flagship wines of the producer. Superior vintages from reputable producers and regions will often command much higher prices than their average ones. Some vintage wines (e.g. Brunello ), are only made in better-than-average years. For consistency, non-vintage wines can be blended from more than one vintage, which helps wine-makers sustain a reliable market image and maintain sales even in bad years. One recent study suggests that for
8800-444: The fruit from which they are produced, and combined with the word "wine" (for example, apple wine and elderberry wine ) and are generically called fruit wine or country wine (similar to French term vin de pays ). Other than the grape varieties traditionally used for wine-making, most fruits naturally lack either sufficient fermentable sugars, proper amount of acidity, yeast amounts needed to promote or maintain fermentation, or
8910-457: The genetic distance between the two parents imparting hybrid vigor leading to the viticultural selection of a diverse range of offspring from this cross (which may, nevertheless, have also resulted from deliberate human intervention). In any case, however, it occurred; offspring of the Pinot–Gouais cross include: Chardonnay , Aligoté , Auxerrois , Gamay , Melon and eleven others. Pinot noir
9020-451: The grape itself. Vertical and horizontal tasting involves a range of vintages within the same grape and vineyard, or the latter in which there is one vintage from multiple vineyards. " Banana " flavors ( isoamyl acetate ) are the product of yeast metabolism, as are spoilage aromas such as "medicinal" or "Band-Aid" ( 4-ethylphenol ), "spicy" or "smoky" ( 4-ethylguaiacol ), and rotten egg ( hydrogen sulfide ). Some varieties can also exhibit
9130-421: The grape skin, by allowing the grapes to soak in the extracted juice . Red wine is made from dark-colored red grape varieties . The actual color of the wine can range from violet, typical of young wines, through red for mature wines, to brown for older red wines. The juice from most red grapes is actually greenish-white; the red color comes from anthocyanins present in the skin of the grape. A notable exception
9240-563: The growth of the South African wine industry into newer areas, Pinot noir is now also to be found in cool climate Walker Bay and Elgin , the two oldest Pinot regions in the country. There are currently just over 1,200 ha of Pinot noir in South Africa, making up 1,5% of the total plantings in the country. The Top 5 Pinot noir Wine Awards annually recognizes the top South African Pinot noir red wines. In Spain, Pinot noir
9350-693: The late twentieth century, although it is unlikely that many vines from the cuttings supplied by Brock survive in any present UK vineyards. Indeed, despite the fact that today virtually all plantings of Meunier in the UK stem from French and German nurseries, the name Wrotham Pinot is still a legally acceptable synonym for this variety, although little, if ever, used by UK growers. Pinot noir can be particularly prone to mutation (suggesting it has active transposable elements ), and thanks to its long history in cultivation, there are hundreds of different clones in vineyards and vine collections worldwide. More than 50 are officially recognized in France compared to only 25 of
9460-466: The many other varieties he grew. Brock said that when compared to supplies of Meunier from France, Wrotham Pinot: had a higher natural sugar content and ripened two weeks earlier. Hyams, ever the journalist in search of a good story, claimed that this vine had been left behind by the Romans , although he provided absolutely no evidence for this. Brock sold cuttings of 'Wrotham Pinot,' and the variety became quite popular in early English "revival" vineyards in
9570-571: The much more widely planted Cabernet Sauvignon . The French Etablissement National Technique pour l'Amelioration de la Viticulture (ENTAV) has set up a program to select the best clones of Pinot. This program has succeeded in increasing the number of quality clones available to growers. In the new world, particularly in Oregon, wines of extraordinary quality continue to be made from the (ex-University of California at Davis) Pommard (principally UCD4) and Wadensvil (UCD 1A and/or 2A) clones. Gamay Beaujolais
9680-604: The north to Central Otago in the south, become a major factor in New Zealand's reputation as a wine producer. In Slovenia , the Pinot noir is produced especially in the Slovenian Littoral , particularly in the Goriška Brda sub-region. In smaller amounts, the Pinot noir is also produced in Slovenian Styria . The wine is usually called Modri Pinot (Blue Pinot) or also Modri Burgundec (Blue Burgundy). With
9790-551: The oldest and largest producers, respectively, of wine of the United States . Viking sagas earlier mentioned a fantastic land filled with wild grapes and high-quality wine called precisely Vinland . Prior to the Spanish establishing their American wine grape traditions in California and New Mexico, both France and Britain had unsuccessfully attempted to establish grapevines in Florida and Virginia respectively. In East Asia,
9900-529: The only places not yet exposed to the insect. In the context of wine production, terroir is a concept that encompasses the varieties of grapes used, elevation and shape of the vineyard, type and chemistry of soil, climate and seasonal conditions, and the local yeast cultures. The range of possible combinations of these factors can result in great differences among wines, influencing the fermentation, finishing, and aging processes as well. Many wineries use growing and production methods that preserve or accentuate
10010-513: The origin of viticulture. Wine types: The types have such different properties that in practice they are considered different drinks. Wine is made in many ways from different fruits, with grapes being the most common. The type of grape used and the amount of skin contact while the juice is being extracted determines the color and general style of the wine. The color has no relation to a wine's sweetness —all may be made sweet or dry. Red wine gains its color and flavor (notably, tannins ) from
10120-424: The percentage requirement is lowered to 85%. Vintage wines are generally bottled in a single batch so that each bottle will have a similar taste. Climate's impact on the character of a wine can be significant enough to cause different vintages from the same vineyard to vary dramatically in flavor and quality. Thus, vintage wines are produced to be individually characteristic of the particular vintage and to serve as
10230-457: The primary substance fermented is honey, the drink is considered mead. Mead was produced in ancient history throughout Europe, Africa and Asia, and was known in Europe before grape wine. Other drinks called "wine", such as barley wine and rice wine (e.g. sake , huangjiu and cheongju ), are made from starch-based materials and resemble beer more than traditional wine, while ginger wine
10340-417: The process. Wine is most often made from grapes , and the term "wine" generally refers to grape wine when used without any qualification. Even so, wine can be made from a variety of fruit crops , including plum , cherry , pomegranate , blueberry , currant , and elderberry . Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are major factors in different styles of wine. These differences result from
10450-712: The red wines of Burgundy, mostly aged in French barriques . Some of the best Austrian Pinots come from Neusiedlersee and Blaufraenkischland (Burgenland), and Thermenregion (Lower Austria). Pinot noir has been grown in Ontario for some time in the Niagara Peninsula and especially the Niagara-on-the-Lake and Short Hills Bench wine regions, as well as in Prince Edward County and on the north shore of Lake Ontario . It has also been grown recently in
10560-501: The region. Portugal has developed a system resembling that of France and, in fact, pioneered this concept in 1756 with a royal charter creating the Demarcated Douro Region and regulating the production and trade of wine. Germany created a similar scheme in 2002, although it has not yet achieved the authority of the other countries' classification systems. Spain , Greece and Italy have classifications based on
10670-530: The several dozen indigenous wild species in China, rather than Vitis vinifera , which was introduced 6000 years later. In 2020, a 2,600-year-old well-preserved Phoenician wine press was excavated at Tell el-Burak, south of Sidon in Lebanon , probably devoted to making wine for trading in their colonies. The spread of wine culture westwards was most probably due to the Phoenicians, who spread outward from
10780-525: The similarities between the words for wine in Indo-European languages (e.g. Armenian gini , Latin vinum , Ancient Greek οἶνος, Russian вино [vʲɪˈno] ), Kartvelian (e.g. Georgian ღვინო [ˈɣvino] ), and Semitic ( *wayn ; Hebrew יין [jajin] ), pointing to the possibility of a common origin of the word denoting "wine" in these language families. The Georgian word goes back to Proto-Kartvelian * ɣwino -, which
10890-492: The southern district Biobio . Pinot noir is increasingly being planted in the U.K. and is now the second most widely planted variety (305-ha in 2012), almost all of it for sparkling wine. Pinot noir has made France's Burgundy appellation famous, and vice versa. Wine historians, including John Winthrop Haeger and Roger Dion, believe that the association between Pinot and Burgundy was the explicit strategy of Burgundy's Valois dukes. Roger Dion, in his thesis regarding Philip
11000-516: The standard Victorian work on grape growing in the UK, states that the 'Millers Burgundy' also was found by [the famous horticulturalist] Sir Joseph Banks in the remains of an ancient vineyard at Tortworth, Gloucestershire – a county well known for its medieval vineyards . Hyams took the vine to Raymond Barrington Brock, who ran what was to become the Oxted Viticultural Research Station, and he trialed it alongside
11110-547: The term Meritage is allowed only via licensing agreements with the Meritage Association. France has various appellation systems based on the concept of terroir , with classifications ranging from Vin de Table ("table wine") at the bottom, through Vin de Pays and Appellation d'Origine Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (AOVDQS), up to Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) or similar, depending on
11220-474: The tomb of King Tutankhamun bearing the name "Kha'y", a royal chief vintner . Five of these amphoras were designated as originating from the king's personal estate, with the sixth from the estate of the royal house of Aten . Traces of wine have also been found in central Asian Xinjiang in modern-day China, dating from the second and first millennia BCE. The first known mention of grape -based wines in India
11330-436: The use of (highly productive) Pinot Droit clones is reportedly still widespread in inferior, Village appellation, or even non-appellation vineyards, and Pinot Droit is consequently regarded, arguably with very good reason, as a (genetic) sub-form significantly inferior to classical, decumbent, 'Pinot fine' or 'Pinot tordu', clonal lines of Pinot. Frühburgunder (Pinot Noir Précoce) is an early-ripening form of Pinot noir. Across
11440-453: The vintage. Many of the wines are produced in small quantities. Today, the Côte d'Or escarpment of Burgundy has about 4,500 hectares (11,000 acres) of Pinot noir. Most of the region's finest wines are produced from this area. The Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais regions in southern Burgundy have another 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres). In Jura département , across the river valley from Burgundy,
11550-477: The wine after fermentation, relative to the acidity present in the wine. Dry wine , for example, has only a small amount of residual sugar. Some wine labels suggest opening the bottle and letting the wine "breathe" for a couple of hours before serving, while others recommend drinking it immediately. Decanting (the act of pouring a wine into a special container just for breathing) is a controversial subject among wine enthusiasts. In addition to aeration, decanting with
11660-473: The wine ages, Pinot has the potential to develop more vegetal and "barnyard" aromas that can contribute to the complexity of the wine. Pinot noir's home is France's Burgundy region, particularly Côte-d'Or . It is also planted in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, northern parts of Croatia, Czech Republic, England, the Republic of Georgia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Hungary, Kosovo,
11770-483: The wines made from Pinot noir are lighter. In Champagne it is used in blending with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier . It can also appear unblended; in which case it may be labeled Blanc de Noirs . The Champagne appellation has more Pinot planted than any other area of France. In Sancerre it is used to make red and rosé wines, much lighter in style than those of Burgundy, refreshing served chilled, especially in warmer years when they are less thin. In Alsace it
11880-422: The year 1894: Friedrich Boscarolli - Rametz/Meran - Rametzer Burgunder 1890, Chorherrenstift Neustift - Blauburgunder 1890, R.v.Bressendorf - Vernaun/Meran - Burgunder 1890, C. Frank - Rebhof Gries Bozen - Burgunder 1889, Fr. Tschurtschenthaler - Bozen - Burgunder 1890 & 1891, Fr. Tschurtschenthaler - Bozen - Kreuzbichler 1889 & 1891 & 1887. Large amounts of Pinot were planted in central Moldova during
11990-521: Was not necessarily the Pinot involved here; any member of the Pinot family appears genetically capable of being the Pinot parent to these ex-Gouais crosses. In 1925, Pinot noir was crossed in South Africa with the Cinsaut grape (known locally by the misnomer 'Hermitage') to create a unique variety called Pinotage . Pinot noir is produced in the wine-growing regions of Mendoza (particularly in
12100-474: Was propagated in 1936 by Henri Gouges of Burgundy, and there is now 2.5ha planted of this grape which Clive Coates calls Pinot Gouges, and others call Pinot Musigny. There is, however, no published evidence, nor any obvious reason, to believe that this is other than a (possibly quite fine) form of Pinot blanc, having simply arisen as a selected natural mutation of the original Pinot noir in the Gouges' vineyard. In
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