The Pinot Family of Grapes

Saturday, October 27th
4:30 - 7:00

This weekend we are going to focus not on one particular grape, but on a family of grapes - Pinot.  The backbone, original grape of the family is Pinot Noir.  A notoriously difficult grape to grow and vinify, Pinot Noir is known by some winemakers as the Heartbreak Grape, in reference to it's fragile, fickle nature.  It is a grape that when grown in the wrong place with the wrong techniques can make insipid, dull wine; but when grown in the correct place, with the right terroir and with skillful vignerons, it can make a wine of ethereal elegance and intense complexity.  It is one of the classic red grapes of the traditional noble grapes, yet also makes wonderful dry rosé and is one of the main grapes of Champagne.  It also has two closely related grapes that re-invent its flavor into white wine frameworks - Pinot Gris/Grigio, and Pinot Blanc.  Interestingly, it is not that Pinot Noir is a parent grape of the two, as you would see in Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc combining to create Cabernet Sauvignon.  Instead, Pinot Gris and Blanc are actually naturally occuring mutations of the Pinot Noir grape.  So they are the same, yet different.  The names come from the color of the grape skins for each - Pinot Noir (black), Pinot Gris (grey), and Pinot Blanc (white).  To stem any confusion, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape, the name difference just being the French name versus the Italian name.  Now having said that, there are often stylistic differences in how the grape is vinified that can be inferred from whether a winery labels it as Grigio or Gris.  Pinot Grigios follow the classic Italian style of the grape, with a fresher fruit character, and a lighter, crisper character; Pinot Gris will often follow the French Alsatian example and produce wines that are richer, rounder and almost honeyed.  For this weekends purposes we will start with a wonderful Oregon example that finds great balance between the French and Italian styles, and for a taste of Pinot Blanc we will sample one of our favorites out of Alsace, Fance.  To look at Pinot Noir itself, we'll try out three very different styles - a classic Burgundy, an Oregon stalwart, and a robust, powerful California example.  We strive for great wines every tasting, but this week I really feel we've outdone ourselves - don't miss it!

Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Gris
Dundee Hills, Oregon, 2017

Domaine Vincent Stoeffler Pinot Blanc
Alsace, France, 2017

Domaine Sébastien Magnien 'Vieilles Vignes' Hautes Côtes de Beaune Rouge
Burgundy, France, 2016

Ponzi Vineyards 'Tavola' Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2016

Martinelli 'Bella Vigna' Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast, California, 2016