01. 21. 2013

Cheat Sheet: Pinot Noir

Ever wonder how in the world someone manages to take a mere sniff of a glass of wine and exclaim, “wet leaves, truffles and wild game”. Find yourself dubious? Well, for most wine geeks of the world, we have learned what to look for in a particular grape and terroir. We know the general flavor profiles of a grape and what the earth may bring according to its location on the map. In other words, we have help going in.

I’ve decided to do a new series called Cheat Sheet to let some of you in on our secrets. You won’t think us as cool (or pretentious) anymore, but c’est la vie, it’s more fun to drink when we can all talk about it anyway.

Here are some basics to look for in a Pinot Noir. Notes of a grape will change, sometimes drastically, according to its terroir. For example the mushrooms and truffles you may get from a Burgundy Pinot may differ drastically from the forest floor you may get from a New Zealand Pinot. And it’s all subjective as hell anyway- that’s what makes it fun. Cin Cin!