Labels:
Red Wines
Pinot Noir (pee-noh nwah) is the variety used in the superior red wines of Burgundy and one of the principal Champagne varieties. Plantings in France increased from 8500 ha to 17 300 ha between 1958 and 1979 and reached 22 000 ha by 1988. It is one of the few black varieties that ripens early enough to succeed in the coolest viticultural areas, such as those of Germany and Switzerland. It is grown in practically every wine-producing country, usually not extensively and only in the cooler areas such as northern Italy or the coastal valleys of California. There were nearly 10 000 ha in California in 2002, and in 2003 Australia had 4270 ha.Pinot Noir is a very old and variable variety and we can see its progression from vines similar to the wild grapes that grew in Europe before cultivation, to highyielding selections sometimes thought to show less varietal character in the wine. There are about 30 different recognised clones in Australia with observable differences in growth habit, bunch shape and so on. It is quite possible that some clones are better adapted to particular areas and this needs to be taken into account when evaluating the variety.
