International Pinot Noir Day

August 18th! It’s either Pinot Noir Day or International Pinot Noir Day. Doesn’t matter. This is unashamedly my favorite red wine – tbh my favorite wine period – and although I have a variety of wines at home, Pinot has a special place in my heart. The fact that there’s a day just for Pinot makes my heart happy. The fact that it’s in the middle of the hottest month in the Northern Hemisphere will always be confusing to me; although, to be fair, it probably has something to do with the harvest. Not every location is Las Vegas.

This is all about Pinot, but first, let’s look at the scene from the movie Sideways (2004) that had many people eagerly starting on their own Pinot Noir journey:

For those of us who had already discovered Pinot, Sideways simply vindicated what we already knew: that Pinot was the Queen of wines, and it was about time people knew about it. The King of wines? I’ll let the Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo people argue over that!

Rex Pickett, Sideways, and Pinot Noir

The most well-known person who was into Pinot before Pinot was cool is Rex Pickett. He’s the author of the Sideways series of books. Unfortunately, only the original Sideways was made into a movie. I personally feel that at least the second book, Vertical (recently re-released as Sideways: Oregon), would have made a phenomenal movie as well.

Every single book, including Sideways: Chile and Sideways: New Zealand, is about the adventures of Miles Raymond as he becomes an international traveler whose morose personality takes him into “what the hell are you thinking, Miles?!?” territory. And always seeking Pinot.

INPC

While the International Pinot Noir Celebration took a bye this year, it’s only because they’re making plans for a more curated celebration next year. I learned about IPNC when I read Rex Pickett’s Vertical (republished as Sideways: Oregon in 2024). The autobiographical nature of the book felt very real, making me wonder how much was true and how much was fiction. It’s that good. Miles or Memorex?

But I digress.

Imagine a celebration where the only wine is Pinot Noir, mostly Oregonian, and the highlight is a lavish dinner showcasing cedar-smoked salmon. I have dreamt of attending the INPC since I read about it, and hope to attend one year, lord willin’ and the crick don’t rise.

The Origin and Beyond

Pinot Noir has been around for a long time—it’s been grown in Burgundy, France, for about 2,000 years. The name comes from the French words for “pine” and “black,” because those tightly packed, dark grapes kind of look like pine cones. Well, if you cross your eyes and try to blur your vision.  Just my opinion.

Burgundy is still the place Pinot Noir lovers dream about, but this grape has made its way all around the world, showing up everywhere from Oregon to New Zealand to Germany and beyond. The most successful Pinot Noir-producing regions share a similar cool continental climate, limestone-rich soils, and have adopted established winemaking traditions, creating the ideal environment to reproduce the subtle floral aromas, red fruit flavors, and earthy undertones. Although Pinot Noir is distinctive, it is a very terroir-driven wine, and the differences showcase those terroir variations.

Burgundy (Bourgogne) aka The Holy Grail

Burgundy is not only the spiritual home of Pinot Noir, but also of Chardonnay. Many of the wineries process both wines. Some of the wines are affordable, but the legendary wines can go upward of four figures.

The Côte d’Or, particularly the subregions of Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, Features Villages such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée, and Chambolle-Musigny, as well as Grand Cru vineyards like Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, which have achieved near-mythical (and $$$$) status.

• Alsace, France: Alsatian Pinot Noir is typically lighter-bodied, with bright acidity and flavors of red cherries.
• Loire Valley: In the central vineyards of the Loire, particularly in Sancerre and Menetou-Salon, Pinot Noir is used to produce lively, aromatic reds and charming rosés.
• Champagne: Pinot Noir is one of the three primary grapes (alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier) used in the production of Champagne.

Other European Wineries

Switzerland: Valais Region

Italy: Alto Adige (Pinot Nero)

Germany (Spätburgunder)

Romania

Hungary

New World Pinot

New Zealand: With its legendary cool climate, it’s unsurprising that Pinot Noir is the flagship red of New Zealand, excelling in regions such as Central Otago, Martinborough, and Marlborough.

Australia has earned international respect for its Pinot Noir, especially from cooler regions.
• Yarra Valley: This region crafts refined, perfumed Pinots with distinctive cherry, raspberry, and spice notes.
• Mornington Peninsula: Maritime influences and rich soils give rise to complex, age-worthy Pinot Noir.
• Tasmania: The island’s cool climate produces vibrant, aromatic Pinots that rival the best of the Southern Hemisphere.

Canada: the Okanagan Valley and Niagara Peninsula are producing cool-climate Pinots.

South America: Both Chile and Argentina have embraced Pinot Noir, particularly in coastal and high-altitude areas.

• Chile: The Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys are leading producers, offering cool-climate Pinots with red fruit, floral aromas, and a touch of earthy elegance.
• Argentina: Patagonia’s windswept vineyards yield subtle, mineral-driven Pinot Noir with graceful acidity and a hint of wild herbs.

South Africa’s cool-climate regions, notably Walker Bay and Elgin, are producing exceptional Pinot Noirs. These wines are known for their bright red fruit, savory complexity, and impressive structure.

South African Pinotage – Pinot Noir Adjacent

A true South African classic, Pinotage has been a part of the country’s vinicultural identity since its creation in the early 20th Century. It was created in South Africa and is unique to the place. A cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, it thrives in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. If you decide to try Pinotage, you will not necessarily get the impact of Pinot in the glass.

In fact, a young Pinotage can exhibit distinctly savory notes, including those of meat, bacon, smoke, and banana. Sounds more like a cocktail than a wine! But it ages so beautifully. When The Wineaux Guy™ and I attended the Slow Food Conference in San Francisco a few years ago, we brought a bottle of well-aged 1998 Lanzerac Pinotage. All that bacon and meat had given way to dark berry, plum, black cherry, and other fruit flavors. Absolutely delicious! I won’t say we fought over it, but…

USA! USA! USA!

California’s vast geography (nearly half a million acres) yields a diverse range of Pinot Noir styles. The grape thrives in cool climates, where coastal influences temper the heat and extend the growing season, allowing nuanced flavors to develop. All of the best Pinots are coast-adjacent, and the quality of the Pinot reflects this. Over the years, I have tasted at least 70 different California Pinots. While they may have ranged in style, I could still tell they were Pinot.

• Sonoma County: the Russian River Valley is a benchmark for California Pinot Noir, producing lush, fruit-forward wines with vibrant acidity and hints of cola and spice.
• Sonoma Coast: with its cool, foggy climate, yields more restrained and elegant expressions.
• Santa Barbara County, including the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys, benefits from coastal breezes and diverse soils, producing seductive Pinots known for their purity and layered flavors.
• Carneros: straddling Sonoma and Napa, Carneros is known for aromatic, supple Pinot Noirs and sparkling wines.

Oregon: In the world of wine, few regions outside of Burgundy have achieved as much distinction with Pinot Noir as Oregon. Spanning the Willamette (rhymes with dammit) Valley to the Umpqua and Rogue Valleys, Oregon’s wine country has become renowned for producing some of the most sought-after and critically acclaimed expressions of Pinot.

Although the Willamette Valley is the epicenter of Oregon Pinot Noir, several distinct regions within and beyond the valley contribute to the state’s wine tapestry.

• Willamette Valley: Encompassing over 5,200 square miles, the Willamette Valley is Oregon’s largest and most famous wine region. Within the Willamette, several American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) stand out for their signature Pinot Noir:
• Umpqua Valley: Located southwest of the Willamette, the Umpqua Valley combines both cool and warm microclimates. Pinot Noir from Umpqua is typically more full-bodied, with ripe dark fruit and gentle tannins. The region’s diversity allows for an interesting spectrum of styles, from elegant and mineral-driven to rich and opulent.
• Rogue Valley: Farther south, the Rogue Valley is warmer and less influenced by the Pacific Ocean, yet select vineyards at higher elevations are still able to produce expressive Pinot Noir. Here, you’ll find wines with intense, jammy fruit and spicy undertones, more powerful than their northern counterparts.
• Applegate Valley: A subregion of Rogue Valley, Applegate Valley is known for sustainable and organic viticulture. Pinot Noir here is rare but distinctive, often showing wild berry, herbal, and earthy notes.
• Columbia Gorge & Columbia Valley: On the northern border with Washington, the Columbia Gorge AVA encapsulates a dramatic landscape of steep slopes and wind-blown soils. Pinot Noir from the Gorge is typically lively and aromatic, reflective of the cooler sites.

Other States

While the Pinots of California and Oregon are legendary and literally world-class, other regions have engaged in Pinot Noir production with varying degrees of success.

• Idaho: Select vineyards in the Snake River Valley capitalize on cool nights and high elevation.
• Colorado: Mountain vineyards in the West Elks AVA experiment with Pinot Noir, though challenges, largely weather-related, abound.
• New Mexico: Higher elevations provide respite from heat, allowing for the production of lean, mineral-driven Pinots. One of the most respected wineries, Gruet, is located in Albuquerque, where Pinot Noir is the base for their stellar sparkling wines.
• Ohio: Lake Erie’s moderating effect permits the cultivation of Pinot Noir in some areas.
• Wisconsin: Small-scale producers craft light Pinot Noir in the Lake Wisconsin AVA.
• Virginia: Virginia’s wine history began in the early days of America’s settlement in the 1600s. Experimentation with Pinot Noir was inevitable, and some success has been achieved in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Naturally, I could go on and on. There are regions and sub-regions that grow Pinot Noir, and many of them are doing quite well, crafting stellar wines.

Food Pairing

What foods pair well with Pinot Noir? In a word, just about everything! But I’m biased.

Seriously,  however, we’re talking about a wine that pairs well with vegetables, fish, meats, and the occasional dessert. Pinot is outstanding with mushroom-based dishes, including (or especially) those with truffles, dark-meat poultry (such as turkey thighs or duck), salmon, veal, pork, and more. I don’t necessarily recommend it with white fish or heavy red meats. Well-made Pinot is earthy and delicate, although some of the California Pinots pair very well with beef.

Trivia

This is mostly personal trivia, and it’s all about Pinot!

Several years ago, when I was attending a sommelier class at The Bellagio, we, the students, had a heated argument over Pinot Noir. During the blind tasting portion of the class, one of the wines was clearly a classic Pinot Noir. I started arguing with an Advanced sommelier (!!!) who said the wine was very obviously from California. I disagreed and said that it was from Burgundy. She pointed out the fruit, and I pointed out the earth. Master Sommelier Matt Stamp chuckled at us when we were arguing and made an interesting statement.

“If you can’t decide if a Pinot is from Burgundy or California, then it’s probably from Oregon.”

Something I’ve always remembered! And the Pinot was from Oregon.

Since that time, many other Burgundy-style Pinot Noirs have come online, including those from New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina.

Another Pinot tasting story: I participated in a Pinot Noir tasting (not blind) and made an interesting discovery. While the Pinots, because of their origins, were wildly different, they were each quite obviously Pinot Noir. There are some basic traits that will reveal themselves, regardless of the terroir or origin.

Did you know that Gallo Hearty Burgundy – an inexpensive jug wine from our youth – doesn’t have a single drop of Burgundy/Pinot Noir in it? Why is that?

The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), adopted in 1995, solidified the international protection of Geographical Indications (GI). The TRIPS agreement requires member countries to prevent misleading use of GIs and unfair competition. For example, Parmesan Reggiano can only be from Italy, Champagne can only come from the Champagne region, and Burgundy can only be from Burgundy, etc. However, Gallo – along with other old and established food/beverage originators – was grandfathered in to keep its “Hearty Burgundy” label. And if you’re curious, Hearty Burgundy is made up of primarily Petit Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel, with other red wines being cycled through the years.

Summary

Enjoy a bottle of Pinot Noir today! Or a box, which will last longer than just today. But whatever you do, enjoy the beautiful Queen of Wines, and thank Miles for his beautiful description of such a lovely wine.