2007 World of Pinot Noir – Part 1
Noted author John Winthrop Haeger’s book, North American Pinot Noir, is arguably the only book you need to read if you’re really interested in expanding your knowledge of Pinot Noir. Exhaustive, comprehensive, and filled with reference materials, this scholarly book will quench the thirst of wine neophytes and die-hard Pinotphiles alike. John brings the same passion to his speaking engagements, and has been giving the opening seminar at World of Pinot Noir for a few years now. Yet, he never fails to leave the audience with some missing pieces to the Pinot puzzle – little gems that you didn’t already know.
Listen in as John takes us on Pinot Noir journey, discussing such things as production (it’s only about 2% of the world’s wine production), whether the Sideways effect is still a factor in Pinot Noir’s popularity, and just where did this grape come from, anyway. As befits the subject, John starts off “in the beginning….”
For more information on World of Pinot Noir: www.worldofpinotnoir.com
Sponsor: Beachs of South Walton: www.beachesofsouthwalton.com
Click Below to Play the Show:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
(51:10 min 35 MB)
For some reason, when I click to hear I get the previous broadcasat.
Ditto! Please post this show! I really want to hear it!
Thnaks for the heads up the issue shuld be resolved.
Brian
Works now and well worth the wait. Very nice show
I love the history of grapes and wine stuff. I believe previous guests have touched on it before too (the show on clones, probably), but I geek on this and Haeger gave some great background. It’s just so fascinating.
Incidentally, in the past when it’s been a talk with a Powerpoint presentation you’ve posted the presentation with the show. I understand that may not always be possible, but I just want to register my voice in favor of the practice when you can do it.
Okay, back to the second half of the podcast.
I enjoyed listenign to the history of Pinot Noir introduction into the USA. It would appear that there are now lots of clones that are native to the USA in that these clones are not normally found in Europe. Why is it then that winegrowers in the USA are still obsessed with importing clones from France (such as Dijon clones) ? Are none of these native American clones any good ?
At first I did think like one of you said…”OH NO ANOTHER SHOW ON PINOT”… but after listening to your great speaker, it was worth it. Any chance of having a show on wine pairings with specific foods that go well with certain varieties?
I have talked to the rest of the crew and we have decided every show from today until December will be on Pinot Noir! So take that!
This is such a tough crowd to please.
Jay
Tough? I would say discerning…
At least it wasn’t on a topic say like… “The minerality of French wines”…yawn….
Andrew,
The newer clonal material was imported for several reasons. First because new is sexy! Right? So if its sexy its got to be good!!!
Actually there are several reasons for the new material. Generally winemakers/people are always looking for the next best thing. That great clone that in the right site does magic, or gives a winemaker an advantage over another winemaker. Its a quest to improve.
The newer clones are plant materials that were selected by a French governmental entity with the purpose of improving plant material stocks. ENTAV/INRA. They select plant materials and in trials identify materials that have interesting and valuable characteristics. For Pinot in France one characteristic is early ripening. The Dijion clones tend to ripen a little earlier. In a northerly region with rapidly shortening fall days this is a major benefit. These clones also tend to have more color and lower acidity, amongst other characteristics.
The existing California pinot materials go back at least as far as 1852 or thereabouts when Pierre Pellier brought cuttings from Burgundy and varietals from other French regions to the lower San Francisco Bay area – Santa Clara Valley. (Along with plums and fruit tree cuttings which went on to found an amazing fruit industry.)
I have some material that traces to this selection that is abutting a block of Dijion clone 115. (I think Eric Anderson has seen this and photographed it, its somewhere on http://www.grape-nutz.com/ ) The abutting rows, side by side dramatically show that the Dijion clusters are about 7-10 days ahead of the Pellier materials.
The Pellier selection can be as dark, but tends to be more aromatic and has a looser cluster morphology.
Other materials were brought in by Professor Olmo at UC Davis, and by many, many others… who transported them in suitcases and in their underwear.
Many winemakers are going back to the older materials because they tend to ripen more slowly than the new Dijion materials. This may be an advantage in terms of achieving specific stylistic goals.
But again, they could all be wrong… (can I get maniacal laughter piped in here?) I think the trick with the Dijion clones is that you need to hang a little more crop in order to slow them down… To delay the early sugar accumulation you need to give them a bigger carbohydrate sink… duh!!!!!!!??? That gives tannins, phenolics and flavor time to develop.
Its all about balance… and the sweetspot changes every year… Thats what makes it so hard…! Hope this helps.