Share your Pinot Noir wine tasting experience.
What wine(s) did you select for this week’s tasting?
What takeaways do you have about wines from this grape?
What important characteristics of Pinot Noir wines do you prefer?
How comfortable are you in discussing or ordering Pinot Noir wines from France with friends, in a restaurant, or at a wine shop? Why?
W3: Lesson Overview – Geology and Pinot Noir in California and France
“Two wines from one cellar but from distinct sites are likely to show a greater similarity than two wines from grapes grown on one site in the same year made into wine by different producers.”
— Gerald Asher, A Vineyard in My Glass, “Corton: Burgundy’s Magic Mountain”
This week is an introduction to vineyards growing Pinot Noir and their wines.
Student Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Identify top Burgundy villages where Pinot Noir wines are grown.
Describe characteristics of Pinot Noir terroir in Burgundy and California.
Describe where the limestone soils of the Côte d’Or came from.
Readings
Following are the required readings for this week.
World Atlas of Wine
pp. 14-17 (grape varieties)
pp. 18-31 (terroir)
pp. 54-75 (Côte d’Or and southern Burgundy maps)
pp. 294-301 (Willamette Valley, Washington wine maps)
pp. 302-309 (California, Mendocino, Sonoma)
pp. 316-322 (California, Central Coast)
Wine Bible
pp. 197-226 (Burgundy)
Short sections on Pinot Noir in the California and Oregon pages
Wine Folly (optional)
pp. 98-101 (Gamay, Pinot Noir)
pp. 188-189 (France)
pp. 192-193 (Burgundy)
pp. 210-215 (USA, California)
Assignments
Please complete these assignments this week.
Wine Tasting – Pinot Noir
Select and taste a Pinot Noir or two for this week’s wine tasting. See what you learn about the different styles, tastes, aromas, and places where they were grown.
Consider one from California and one from France. There are so many to choose from, running the full range of styles we are learning about this week. Even though your decision should be based on what is available to you and what you would like to taste, below are some of our recommendations. Please do not feel restricted by this list of suggestions. Explore with your favorite wine merchant, wine club, or online sources (where one can often find wines at wholesale prices).
When you’re done with your tasting, please check into the “Wine Tasting” discussion to share your thoughts. Cheers!
Wine Recommendations 2022 Pinot Noir.pdf
Download Wine Recommendations 2022 Pinot Noir.pdf
What we’ll be tasting this week:
2016 Talbott 100% Pinot Noir
from Sleepy Hollow Vineyard
AVA Santa Lucia Highlands
2019 Santenay-Maladière 1er Cru
Domaine Prieur-Brunet
100% Pinot Noir
What we’ll be tasting next week:
2015 Terre Rouge Syrah Les Côtes de l’Ouest
2016 Jean-Luc Colombo “Terres Brulées” Cornas
100% Syrah
Discussions
Participate in this week’s discussion by responding to the following prompts in the discussion area. If you would like to be directed to a specific topic, click on the prompt title below.
Pinot Noir Wine Regions
Describe some characteristics of terroir in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or and California’s Pinot Noir wine regions.
Pinot Noir Wine Tasting
Share your Pinot Noir wine tasting experience.
What wine(s) did you select to taste this week?
What takeaways do you have about wines from this grape?
What important characteristics of Pinot Noir wines do you prefer?
How comfortable are you in discussing or ordering Pinot Noir wines from France with friends, in a restaurant, or at a wine shop? Why?
Supplemental Materials
Last Completed Projects
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