You would be hard-pressed to find a wine that is talked about more than
Pinot Noir right now. It is the chic wine style to drink and it is perfect for the
summer/fall months. Not too heavy like Cabernet and served just slightly
cool, it can be a refreshing drink while the temperatures are still a bit warm
outside. The movie Sideways did a lot to spark people’s interest in Pinot
Noir. And anyone that has seen the movie knows that it crippled the sales of
Merlot wines.
Pinot Noir is a big-ticket item in California now, but that certainly was not
always the case. Until recently, within the last ten years or so, California
was thought of as not having the ideal conditions for growing this finicky
grape. In fact, until Oregon and New Zealand came along, it was believed
that only Burgundy, France would ever produce a Pinot Noir wine worth
drinking. Pinot Noir is a very thin-skinned grape, just like the character
Miles (who worshiped it) in the movie Sideways. It likes cooler
temperatures and needs constant attention. Hot temperatures can over-
ripen the grape and cause it to lose all of its acidity, thereby making a flabby
and dull wine. California is hot. Well, hotter than most wine-producing
regions, however, there are some places throughout the state of California
that are ideal for growing Pinot Noir. Places like the Russian River Valley
in Sonoma where the low-lying areas are cool and a dense fog settles in
shielding the grapes from the harsh morning sun.
Despite the nay Sayers, there were a few pioneers in California that
believed in their heart of hearts that they could make great Pinot Noir wines
in California, it just took some painful research for ideal vineyard locations,
and a whole lot of trial and error. People like David Bruce, Gary Ferrell,
and of course the cult winemakers of Williams & Selyem had fierce
determination that eventually led to successful wines being made from Pinot
Noir throughout the state. I think that wine critics tend to forget that
Europeans had centuries to locate perfect vineyards sites and ideal
conditions for specific grapes. By contrast, California has had to do this in a
just a little over a hundred years. I personally think they are doing a
remarkable job at it.
Of course the Russian River Valley and the Carneros districts, within
Sonoma and Napa Valley respectively, have been identified for a long period
of time as an ideal location for Pinot Noir, but there are other, newer spots
throughout California that are now consistently producing some great
California Pinot Noir wines. The Santa Barbara region has especially
blossomed as of late, no doubt propelled by the Sideways movie, which was
filmed and takes place in Santa Barbara. There are also locations along the
Central Coast and various places in the Sonoma Valley that are doing well
with Pinot Noir. You can also find excellent examples from the Santa Cruz
Mountain region as well as Monterey County.
At first, I would have described the majority of California Pinot Noir wines
as big lush fruit bombs. Big heavy Pinot Noir wines with little acidity and a
flabby overall impression. The fruit is no doubt accentuated by grapes that
were overripened on the vine due to too much sunlight and heat. Definitely
not complex wines by any means! But now that there are a great deal of
wineries and individuals throughout California that are really focusing on this
grape varietal, you are starting to see a bit more earthy aromas and dense
dark fruits and spices. There is also more acidity to the wines. Acidity is a
big key because it helps make the wines refreshing to the palate as well as
aiding in pairing with food and age ability in the wines life.
I recently got the opportunity to ask David Bruce, the owner and proprietor
of David Bruce Winery some questions regarding Pinot Noir wines in
California. David was instrumental in getting the word out about California
Pinot Noir and produces some of the most consistently good Pinot Noir wines
in the state from the likes of the Central Coast, Sonoma Coast and of course
the famed Russian River Valley. Here is what he had to say:
What convinced you that Pinot Noir had a great future in California?
Pinot Noir has always been one of the four great grapes. Read Alexis
Lichine’s “Wines of France”. (I assume he is referring to Pinot Noir,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and either Syrah or Merlot as the four
great grapes)
As a winemaker, what challenges does Pinot Noir throw your way?
In 1956 I had a vision of producing the greatest Pinot Noir. It took me
twenty years to produce one that I was really happy with. During the 60's I
was known for Zinfandel all the while trying to produce the great Pinot Noir.
In the 70's I was known for Chardonnay, ditto trying to produce the great
Pinot Noir. (Shows you Chardonnay is much easier to make than Pinot
Noir. My Chardonnay was used in the most famous winetasting of the 20th
century, the fabled 1976 Paris wine tasting.) The wine tasting David is
referring to was the one where some California wines beat out some of the
greatest and biggest names in wine from France, including the Stag’s Leap
Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon that took top honors over all of the First
Growth Bordeaux’s.
What types of food do you prefer to pair with your Pinots?
Just about everything. I recently did a Thai winemaker dinner in which they
used one of the hottest sauces. It made the Pinot Noir's absolutely bloom
and explode in the mouth.
Obviously Santa Barbara has seen a spike in Pinot sales, has it had any
effect on your Pinot sales too?
Not really. We are one of the destination points for Pinot Noir, so our sales
have been pretty good right along.
In my humble opinion, when it comes to matching wine with food, no red wine
can compete with Pinot Noir. It is simply the most versatile red wine grape
varietal in the world. It is cool and refreshing when served slightly chilled
and has a taste that is silky smooth and dare I say sexy! The greatest news
of all is that now that California is starting to do really great things with Pinot
Noir, you no longer have to pay those exorbitant prices for Burgundy Pinot
Noir wines. Whether you are eating seared Tuna, glazed Salmon, Beef
Bourguignon or simple vegetable lasagna, grab a California Pinot Noir,
maybe even one of the wines I spoke about on this sight, and take it for a
test drive. You will open yourself up to a new world of bliss!
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