Why Pinot Noir suits cooler climates
A sommelier explains why Pinot Noir is expensive and thin-skinned, and what to expect from a 2016 Pinot Noir from Oregon, with its red fruit and silky tannins.
2 October 2026 · 1 min 1 s
Transcript
Pinot Noir. Perfect on a summer's day with a barbecue. I love Pinot Noir. This is actually a really expensive grape. Native home is France. We're talking thousands of pounds with Domaine Romney Conte. And equally, it is expensive, not in the thousands, but we are talking plus £30 for a bottle when we're going to California. Is it worth the money? Yes. It really is. We're not in the hot part of California in Napa Valley. No. Because we have really thin skin. So when you're drinking this, you're gonna get a lovely pale color to it. Instead, you're gonna be looking further, to Oregon and that's where it's cooler. When you're enjoying this wine, what to expect in the bottle is lots of lovely red fruits. This has a slight crunch to it as well, but then also it's so soft, smooth, the tannins are silky. It's gorgeous and it has had a subtle amount of oaks. You've got lovely bit of vanilla. Top tip, look for Pinot Noir.
Transcribed automatically from the speech, so a name may be misheard.
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