Happy Pinot Noir Day!

Oh, and happy 26th anniversary of my start date at work! The secret is, keep showing up.

August 18 is also Pinot Noir Day, according to… a bunch of different calendar sites and news articles I found trying to fill column inches. But sure, why not a day to celebrate pinot noir?

It’s one of the three grapes that make up Blanc de Noirs Champagne, along with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. It’s the signature red grape of Burgundy, but it’s also the 6th most planted red grape varietal in the world.

“It also tends to prefer more intermediate climates with long, cool growing seasons. For this reason, you’ll often find Pinot Noir growing in protected valleys or near large bodies of water.” Here in the U.S., some of my favorites come from coastal California, where breezes from the rivers and the Pacific Ocean keep the grapes cool.

But for how long? This Slate article from 2014 refers to pinot noir as a “climate change ambassador akin to the polar bear:”

…Think of it as the Goldilocks of grapes, producing flabby and boring wine if it’s too hot, flat-out refusing to ripen if it’s too cold, but creating magic in a glass when conditions are just right.

But unfortunately, those “just right” conditions are becoming less predictable in pinot noir’s typical stomping grounds in the United States: drought-stricken California and even farther north, in heat-buffeted Oregon. Both states saw the earliest wine grape harvests on record this fall, with many vineyards hauling in their last bin of grapes before the first bunch would have been cut in what used to be called an average year. In both states, 2014 will go down as the warmest vintage on record, beating out 2013, the next warmest…

I haven’t looked to see if 2022 is now the warmest vintage on record. I don’t know that I want to know, you know?

For right now, I’m enjoying this 2017 Frei Brothers Reserve Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley, next to which I’ve gotten to ride a bike! It is literally a stone’s throw from California’s storied Highway One, with a beautiful rocky coastline just off to the side.

It’s got a pretty dark cherry color, with cherry and tones of earth on the nose. It’s got big fruit on the palate, more dark cherries and a little raspberry, with a bit of dark spice. Like most pinots, its acidity makes it the friend of a wide variety of foods. A nice roast chicken with mushrooms immediately springs to my non-creative mind, but really you’re only limited here by your imagination. I like this a lot, and it’s a pretty great value for good pinot.

Have you got a favorite pinot? Let me know in the comments!