Pinot Noir

The Pinot Noir (which in French means “pine” and “black”) grape traces back to what some believe is a cross between Pinot Meunier and Gewurztraminer. It was birthed in Burgundy, France, where the grape still flourishes today.

Grown widely throughout the world, especially in cool-weather climates, Pinot Noir is among the most wildly expressive grapes. There are clear differences between a German Pinot Noir and a Chile Pinot Noir, for example.

Oregon has within the past decade become a renowned growing spot for this grape, with wineries producing bottles that rival the cost of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. Still, its common denominator is a light body, and aromas of raspberries and cherries.

Some of the world’s most expensive wines at auction actually contain Pinot Noir, including a 1999 magnum of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, a Grand Cru vineyard from Burgundy, France’s Cote de Nuits region, sold in late 2014 for $30,000.

Quick Facts

• In 2007, Pinot Noir became the first fruit crop to be sequenced
• The 2005 film “Sideways” helped elevate Pinot Noir in the States, especially for California wineries
• After the U.S. and France, Germany is the third-largest Pinot Noir producer, despite many of those bottles not being distributed in North America