The International Grape

Pinot Noir is one the world’s great wine grapes. An old grape, it’s a parent for Chardonnay, Gamay, and Aligoté, at least. Cistercian monks were growing it in Burgundy over a century ago, but not everyone is entirely sure that Burgundy is its original home. What is clear is that it has spread across the “old” and “new” worlds such that, in 2023, it was the twelfth most planted grape variety on the planet.

Low yielding, thin-skinned with low tannins, sensitive to sun, pests, and moisture, Pinot Noir is difficult to grow. Still, it’s a coveted grape that shows a surprising amount of variability depending on where it’s grown and how it’s treated. More than many grapes, it’s hard to talk accurately about liking or not liking Pinot Noir. You really have to specify what type of Pinot Noir.

This Wine Wednesday, we taste some Pinot Noirs from around the world. Please join us for this free walk-up tasting. You can stop by anytime between 5:00 and 6:30 PM to see what the “Black Pine” (because its grape clusters have a pine cone shape) grape has to offer.