YOU HAD ME AT PINOT NOIR
If you are an avid red wine drinker, then you must have had a glass of pinot noir a couple of times. But how much of this drink do you actually know?
1. Chardonnay and pinot noir are cousins! Chardonnay is a cross between pinot noir and gouais blanc (heunisch) grape varieties. This is why you will find the varieties are grown together in regions.
2. France, USA and Germany are the three largest producers of pinot noir in the world.
3. The most expensive bottle of wine in the world is a pinot noir. A bottle of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru sells for an average of $26,000! That’s a mouthful - literally!
4. Pinot noir is usually made with ‘whole bunch’. This means the whole bunch including stems goes into the crusher and fermenter.
5. The 2004 movie Sideways, starring Paul Giamatti and Sandra Oh, is dedicated to pinot noir. The film’s popularity actually saw a surge in demand for this variety.
MY PICKS NGERINGA SUMMIT PINOT NOIR 2017 ngeringa.com RRP $45
A small artisan winery in Adelaide producing quality wine. The grapes are gently hand-harvested, de-stemmed and lightly hand plunged for two to three weeks before pressing directly into French barrels. Don’t be fooled by the appearance of this lighter coloured pinot, it’s bursting with vibrant aromas and flavours and certified biodynamic. What’s not to love!
RICHLAND PINOT NOIR calabriawines.com.au RRP $10.95
Calabria Family Wines is a producer of quality wines from the Barossa Valley and Riverina, having picked up more than 3000 medals at wine shows over the past 30 years. This pinot noir has a vibrant density, with pale red hues. Delicate aromas of cherries, plums and spice, mocha oak. Smooth and soft palate with flavours of wild cherries and plums at a fantastic price.
RIVERSDALE ESTATE CENTAURUS PINOT NOIR cellarmasters.com.au RRP $39.99
Tasmania is fast becoming one of the country’s best regions for premium pinot noir while at the same time the variety’s popularity is surging among Aussie wine lovers. A relatively dark pinot with delicate and elegant layers of red fruits. This is an outstanding example of what Tassie pinots are all about.
LOGAN 2016 PINOT NOIR loganwines.com.au RRP $30
If you are ever in Mudgee a visit to this vineyard is a must, with its tasting room offering breathtaking views over the vineyard. This 2016 pinot noir is cherry red in colour with perfumed aromas of wild strawberry, chinotto, fennel seed and rose. It also has flavours of red berries, sour cherry and cinnamon stick with a long spicy finish. Yes please!