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Pinot Noir

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Pinot noir is a variety of Vitis vinifera, the red grape used commonly in winemaking. The name may also refer to wines produced predominantly from pinot noir grapes.

Pinot noir grapes are grown in diverse locations around the world, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France. Production of pinot noir dates back over two thousand years. It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine.

Pinot noir thrives in France's Burgundy region, particularly in the Côte d'Or which has produced some of the world's most celebrated wines for centuries.[citation needed] It is also planted in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, California, South Africa, the Okanagan Valley in Canada, New Zealand and Chile, with some of the best regarded coming from California's Sonoma County with its Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast Appellations, as well as the Central Coast's Santa Lucia Highlands appellation; the Willamette Valley in Oregon; Martinborough, Waipara, and Central Otago in New Zealand.

The leaves of the pinot are approximately 12 cm (5 inches) in diameter, smaller than the cabernet sauvignon although larger than the syrah. The grape cluster is small and cylindrical, vaguely shaped like a pine cone. Some viticultural historians believe this shape may have given rise to the name. [more]