The Pinot Noir grape is a variety that has been made famous through its long established connection with the Burgundy region of France.
Burgundy wine is made exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes and in France the practice is for the vineyards to make the Pinot Noir grapes into wine and then sell the wine to the burgundy wine merchants. The burgundy merchants then select the wines from the different winemakers to blend into the final burgundy wine that is sold under the name of the wine merchant.
This system for making Burgundy is very different to the Bordeaux system for Cabernet style wines.
Although native to Burgundy and a notoriously fickle grape variety to grow outside of Burgundy, the Pinot Noir grape has found in New Zealand a home away from home. The growing of Pinot Noir in New Zealand is best in Martinborough, Marlborough, and Central Otago.
There are many challenges to vineyard operators when growing Pinot Noir grapes. The land required for a Pinot Noir vineyard has to have specific soil types and then you must pair this with weather conditions that perfectly suit the Pinot Noir grape if the winemaker’s intention is to grow grapes for outstanding Pinot Noir wine.
New Zealand winegrowers tease a tantalizing array of distinctive regional and terroir-driven styles from the land – but common to all are Old World structure and elegance overlaying New World power and fruit-driven intensity. Young New Zealand Pinot Noir wines display flavors of cherry, whereas more intense Martinborough styles have an earthy nose - sometimes affectionately described as a “barnyard characteristic”, and velvet smooth texture.
Pinot Noir complements a range of savory dishes: game birds and salmon or with pork, veal, lamb and venison, Mushrooms and truffle-infused dishes. On this side of the world, try matching with Cantonese Stir-fries & Peking duck.
