Pinot Noir

Pairings October 27, 2013

Mumm Napa Brut Rose Paired with Oven Baked Ribs and Sweet Potato Casserole.

Apart from garnishing the plate with dried leaves and a squirrel, I can’t imagine how this recipe could be anymore Autumnal. [There’s a word I don’t use very often: Autumnal.] Any-who, this pairing combines two things I just don’t consume enough of; namely, ribs and bubbly…and even more-so on the same dinner table! I’ve never been a fan of sticking to “food and wine pairing rules,” but I’d never go so far as to say…

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Reviews November 17, 2012

Fulcrum “Floodgate Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma.

Grapes 100% Pinot Noir   Facts Good Pinot Noir is hard to find. Actually that’s an understatement. Good Pinot is a NIGHTMARE to find, and when you do find it you end up paying a premium. Sure, you can find Pinot for under $15 retail; but to be absolutely truthful, they generally don’t do the grape justice. I’m not saying that you ALWAYS have to spend upwards of $50 on a bottle (the price of…

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Reviews October 26, 2012

Vincent Girardin “Emotion” Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France.

Grapes 100% Pinot Noir   Facts When is a French Pinot not a French Pinot? When it’s the Vincent Girardin “Emotion,” of course! I consider a wine like this a timid step forward for those looking to ever-so-slowly “get their wine-drinking into France,” when they used to drinking mainly Cali Pinot.The problem I have found is that when people start out their wine drinking lives by starting with New World Pinot Noir and then try…

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Pairings September 28, 2012

Grilled Eggplant with Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette, Feta & Herbs Paired with On Point “Christinna’s Cuvee” Pinot Noir, California.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is my first vegetarian pairing. Of course I couldn’t make the WHOLE meal vegetarian…I’m just not quite there yet…not that I want to offend any carrot munchers that might be reading this! Since the Grilled Eggplant with Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette is a Mediterranean-esque recipe, I decided to throw some lamb into the mix.  You don’t eat enough lamb! I’ve already decided this for you. You…

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Reviews September 14, 2012

Fulcrum Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast.

  Grapes 100% Pinot Noir   Facts Ok, let’s get something straight from the start! There’s Pinot and there’s Pinot. The perception of Pinot Noir by most wine drinkers has been so skewed, thanks to grocery store brands, that it’s not even funny! Sure, wines such as the Fulcrum aren’t “everyday gluggers,” but if you really want to know what Pinot Noir SHOULD taste like, you need to be willing to occasionally invest a little…

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Facts September 10, 2012

Pinot Noir: Facts to Bore Your Friends With!

I wish I had time to design more wine infographics! They’re a lot of fun, and I think they’re a great way to get the info across in a fun and informative way, but they take FOREVER to research and design! I hope you enjoy my latest creation: Pinot Noir – Facts to Bore Your Friends With!

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News September 7, 2012

The Curious Disappearance of New Zealand Pinot Noir.

  I caught this article by Lettie Teague in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago. In essence, she points out that NZ PN seem to be disappearing from restaurant wine lists and retailers shelves. She writes: It wasn’t so long ago that New Zealand Pinot Noir was hot—or at least there were a lot more of the wines around. After all, Pinot Noir had been touted as New Zealand’s greatest discovery since Sauvignon…

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News August 31, 2012

Releasing Wine Before it’s Time.

This is an issue I’ve been contemplating writing about for a few years now, but it appears Dan Berger beat me to the punch! He writes: I’ve heard winemakers and wine geeks say: “A pinot noir isn’t wine until it’s five years old. Before then it’s like robbing the cradle.” Tasting many of the 2010 pinots recently, that particular phrase came to mind! Many are tasty (partially a result of the cool temperatures throughout California…

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