Used to be that Pinot Noir, outside of the Burgundy region of France, was dreck.
Napa Valley in California could compete with French wine in some areas. In fact, you may or may not already know that back in 1976, there was a competition held in Paris and judged by France's most noted wine critics and sommeliers.
It was chronicled in this book:
Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine
http://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Pari...1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272573828&sr=1-1-spell
It's a fascinating story, a great education and I highly recommend this book. The wines were tasted blind so none of the French wine experts who were known to hold California wine in contempt could tell what they were drinking. To give away the ending, the California wines, both Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, won, to the great consternation of the French wine world.
It's been a slower evolution for California (and Oregon) Pinot Noir, but in the opinion of many, including myself, it is no longer necessary to buy French Burgundy to get excellent Pinot Noir.
This is mainly due to finding the cooler climate areas in California and Oregon where Pinot Noir does best.
California and Oregon Pinot Noir may not be clones of their French brethren, but they shouldn't be -- they are grown in different soil, giving them what the French call "Terroir," which basically means that you can taste in the wine, the soil, sun, and orientation of the particular site where the grapes were grown.
If you are a fan of either California and Oregon Pinot Noir or French Burgundy, here are a few sites on the web that should appeal to you.
The first is free, the second will cost you a subscription....
http://www.princeofpinot.com/
http://www.burghound.com/index.php
Napa Valley in California could compete with French wine in some areas. In fact, you may or may not already know that back in 1976, there was a competition held in Paris and judged by France's most noted wine critics and sommeliers.
It was chronicled in this book:
Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine
http://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Pari...1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272573828&sr=1-1-spell
It's a fascinating story, a great education and I highly recommend this book. The wines were tasted blind so none of the French wine experts who were known to hold California wine in contempt could tell what they were drinking. To give away the ending, the California wines, both Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, won, to the great consternation of the French wine world.
It's been a slower evolution for California (and Oregon) Pinot Noir, but in the opinion of many, including myself, it is no longer necessary to buy French Burgundy to get excellent Pinot Noir.
This is mainly due to finding the cooler climate areas in California and Oregon where Pinot Noir does best.
California and Oregon Pinot Noir may not be clones of their French brethren, but they shouldn't be -- they are grown in different soil, giving them what the French call "Terroir," which basically means that you can taste in the wine, the soil, sun, and orientation of the particular site where the grapes were grown.
If you are a fan of either California and Oregon Pinot Noir or French Burgundy, here are a few sites on the web that should appeal to you.
The first is free, the second will cost you a subscription....
http://www.princeofpinot.com/
http://www.burghound.com/index.php
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