On paper New York looks like a good growing region for Pinot Noir: Its climate and soil type is similar to Burgundy, where the world's best Pinot Noirs are made.
But, as the Cornell study notes, Pinot Noir is a fickle grape -- difficult to grow and especially difficult to grow well. New York winemakers should only get into Pinot Noir if they're committed to producing wines of quality.
Happily enough, some of them seem to be.
One caveat: Fans of big, ripe heavily extracted Pinots with sweet cherry cola flavors and plenty of body and alcohol won't like Pinots from the Finger Lakes, a region upstate.The cool-climate region is similar to Burgundy in that it struggles to produce grapes of optimum ripeness in some years. Vinos of these vintages generally have a low concentration, lower alcohol (12-13 percent rather than upwards of 14 percent), a subtle bouquet and a taste suited to a more sensitive palate. We found two we love.
Read more New York Pinot Noir - Wine of the Week after the jump.
I tried Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Pinot Noir ($25) in a blind tasting a few weeks ago (while studying for sommelier certification) and nailed it as Pinot Noir, but couldn't figure out the region. The wine was beautiful -- bright, clean and full of cranberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Without a lot of earthy aromas that define Burgundy, the wine still really spoke of the Pinot Noir varietal. It was so fruity that it it was perfect for sipping alone, and I polished off the bottle with no problem.
Another one I've tried and liked is Fox Run Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir ($25). The color is quite light, which some people think is harbinger of a thin, tasteless wine, but that's not necessarily true. Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape and won't always extract an enormous amount of color, but that doesn't mean its signature flavor isn't there. The Fox Run Pinot had a nose and taste of strawberries and raspberries with a tinge of mushrooms and decomposing leaves, evoking the classic Burgundian earthiness that some people seek out and others avoid. It was also very dry; the Web site has no stats on the 2007 vintage, but the 2006 had no residual sugar.
As for food pairings, light, low-alcohol Pinot Noirs like these are the ultimate mealtime wines, lovely counterpoints to either red or white meats, mushroom-based dishes, duck and salmon.
Sipped any New York Pinot Noir lately? Do you find them zippy and food-friendly or impossibly thin?
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