The Grapes of Willamette Valley | Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is a red wine grape variety that produces one of the world’s most popular red wines. It is a cool climate grape and only grows well in a few magic pockets around the world, most of which are along the 45th parallel. The Northern Willamette Valley is indeed one of these pockets and our region has become famous for this little black skinned grape. One of France’s oldest varietals, Pinot Noir is famed to have been cultivated more than a century ago by the Cistercian Monks in Burgundy. The name Pinot Noir derives from the French words for ‘pine’ and ‘black’. Pine alludes to the tightly packed “pine cone,” shaped clusters of fruit and noir alludes to the dark skin of the grapes. Pinot Noir is notorious for being one of the most difficult grapes to grow and one of the hardest wines to make, but the end result is worth the challenge. The Willamette Valley with its inconsistent weather conditions and temperatures is perfect for these grapes which are primarily planted on dry farmed land and hillsides. This wondrous varietal truly dazzles the senses with its quirky eccentricities and the results of its fickleness and wine makers patience, result in prized world wines. Join us on A Great Oregon Wine Tour to learn more about the wide world of Pinot Noir – www.agreatoregonwinetour.com