WINE TASTINGS
Persevering with New Zealand pinots pays off, says
The best of New Zealand’s pinot noir
PINOT NOIR IS notoriously hard to grow, as its tightly packed bunches of thin-skinned berries break easily leaving it susceptible to disease. It is sensitive to its environment and is, overall, a fragile and fickle grape to work with. So why then is it consistently in the top ten most-grown wine grapes in the world? It seems that with great responsibility comes great reward. To ask a winemaker “Why pinot noir?” is to ask them to reveal all the things that making pinot has taught them. Patience, perseverance, dealing with heartbreak and disappointment, rising to the challenge – but most of all, love for the wine itself.
If pinot were a person it wouldn’t have many friends. Who wants to pal around with someone who is contrary, difficult, frustrating and has the potential to break your heart? Yet, more than friends, pinot has adorers, disciples and devotees who see its potential and despite its difficulties, want to make it great in the glass.