A quick lap around the world with Pinot Noir

If you have been comatose for the last 15 years, you won’t have noticed the rise of Pinot Noir, the great grape of Burgundy. In the last 10 years, it has been planted and vinified worldwide under conditions that generally were not considered ideal for Burgundy.

California pioneered a New World style of Pinot Noir and often their wine becomes a copy of Merlot, circa 1998. I am quite willing to do blind taste tests with several high-scoring Californian labels and dare people to identify the grape. Wine Spectator adores these overblown wines and awards them monster scores. If you wonder if these wines are for you, I suggest you pick up a bottle of Meomi and try it out. It is immensely popular, usually described as decadent. It reminds me of children’s cough syrup.

I had just about given up on buying Californian wines because of the sugar content until I was wrestled to the ground by a wine rep and had a bottle of Fog Head Pinot Noir Reserve ($24) forced on me. I pondered donning my haz-mat suit but decided I was being hysterical. I uncorked, poured, sniffed and bravely swallowed.

Fog Head is clearly influenced by the Californian style. It is very smooth, with some tastes of chocolate. However, the fruit predominates initially and the vintners have clearly aimed toward keeping some brightness to the palate. If you think Meomi nice but not your favourite, you may want to try Fog Head. You’ll also save three bucks. (And if you want it brighter still, drink it at fridge temperature or close to it.)

Duck Shoot ($24) is an Australian Pinot Noir. Normally, California and Australia styles are pretty close, so it should be no surprise that this wine is fairly close to the Fog Head in style. The acidity is perhaps a bit brighter. I think the sugar is dialed back a couple of grams ( my guess is Fog Head is about five grams/litre). This is a super-easy drinking wine, very much in the Fog Head style. But you need to find a source. It has appeared and disappeared on the shelves across the country a couple of times. I got my bottle at the Co-op in Saskatoon.

The Pinot Noir country I usually turn to is New Zealand. They make some stellar Pinot Noir in Otego, but you can get more affordable versions from Marlborough and even the south of the north island around Wellington. Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir ($25.99) from Marlborough is a label found around the world, and for good reason. They know what they are doing and do it well.

Their Pinot Noir much closer to a classic Burgundian style, with strawberry and fruit apparent in the bouquet with a hint of earth. The palate is bright with a lively acidity that lets the wine keep on the counter for a few days.

If you want to get even closer to the Burgundian profile than New Zealand, you should be checking out the Okanagan. Mission Hill 5 Vineyards Pinot Noir ($19.99) is an exceptionally reliable value. The wine is fresh and fruity, dry with restrained tannins and a lingering finish that is just so slightly astringent.

These are all quite drinkable wines and they are aimed at specific market segments. You need to assess what you eat and what you drink before swearing one of them superior to another. If you generally like opulent wines, and find my tastes a touch too ascetic for you, I suggest picking up a bottle of Fog Head.