Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a red wine grape variety, considered to be one of the greatest. It reaches its peak in Burgundy, but is also used in the production of Champagne and is planted in most of the worlds wine growing regions for use in both still and sparkling wines.
While Pinot Noir can vary dramatically, the wine tends to be of light to medium body with an aroma reminiscent of black cherry, raspberry or currant. Generally, Pinot Noir is produced as a red wine, although Pinot Noir is used in the production of most Champagne and some rosé still wines, and even occasional "vin gris" white wines.
Originally produced in France, in recent years Pinot Noir has become a popular grape in wines from, amongst other places, California, New Zealand and Chile, with some of the best regarded coming from the Willamette Valley in Oregon and the Russian River Valley in California. As a rule, the better pinot noirs are grown in climates at the colder end of the spectrum for wine growing.
Pinot Noir grown for dry table wines is generally low-yielding and often difficult to grow well. Pinot Noir grown for use in sparkling wines (eg. Champagne) is generally higher yielding.
In Germany it is called Spätburgunder.
