Sales of this wine jumped over 50% after the movie “Sideways” was released in 2004  and it still remains one of the most popular red wines.   Pretty amazing that a fictional character from a movie could create such a buzz but what other reasons have been drawing  people to this wine?  For starters, Pinot is generally a softer wine that has light tannin so it is quite approachable even after it is bottled.  It is also quite versatile and can also be served with many types of cuisines and dishes and for this reason it is a fixture on most people’s Thanksgiving dinner table.

Pinot Noir’s origins are from the northern part of France from the Burgundy region and it along with Chardonnay are the primary grapes grown there.   These two grapes both thrive in cooler weather and it is much cooler up there than in Rhone region or Bordeaux.   Another interesting difference is that Pinot and Chardonnay from Burgundy aren’t blended unlike many of the wines from France’s other grape areas.

If you look at where all of the great domestic Pinot is grown it is in the cool climates that are located in the northern parts such as Oregon or by the coast like the Russian River valley, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Maria, etc.  Many California wineries tend to go with a more fruit forward style while the Oregon Pinots have more earthiness.  Pinot has thin skins and doesn’t bring a lot of tannin or color to the wine so many American winemakers choose to add a small percent of other wines to enhance color.  Some winemakers are purists and leave the natural color and very distinct flavors unadulterated.

What is ML?

What makes a Chardonnay buttery while most whites are more crisp?  The main reason is Malolactic fermentation which is a lactic acid bacteria that is introduced into the wine by the winemaker. While this bacteria is naturally occurring the winemaker will select one from a number of strains and choose one that best suits the style of wine that he or she  is after. The bacteria will turn that malic acid into lactic acid. This butteriness often can mask some of the fruit in the wine but Chardonnay doesn’t have a lot of fruit to begin with.  If you think of a Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, etc. you’ll know what I am talking about as there are tons of aromas and flavors jumping out of the glass compared to a Chardonnay.

Most of the wineries throughout the world do not put their whites through “ML” except for their Chardonnay.    Some winemakers will actually do just a portion of the Chardonnay through ML as opposed to a hundred percent of the wine.  This will bring some butteriness to the wine but will also retain some of the natural flavors.  On the flipside, nearly all red wines do go through the malolactic fermentation which tends to soften them without really affecting the fruit.