It’s Wine Time: Pinot Noir

If you’re a red wine lover, you are undoubtedly familiar with this perennial favourite. One of the most popular and widely grown red wine grape varieties in the world, Pinot Noir is sometimes referred to as the “noble grape” because it produces high-quality, elegant wines.

History

Pinot Noir grapes have been cultivated for centuries. During their invasion of France, the Romans saw the Gallic tribes of the Burgundy region drinking wine with unusual flavours of cherries, toast, red fruit, and spices. The wine soon became a highly desired prize for the Romans and remained so for over 300 years.

Cistercians monks are believed to be the first to understand that different vineyards produced different wines depending on the location and the types of grapes grown there. Over time, the monks decided that the pinot noir vineyards produced the highest quality grapes and therefore the best wine. As a result, it became the official wine used in Communion, and the Catholic Church is credited with its continuing popularity ever since.

Growing Pinot Noir

Growing Pinot Noir grapes is no easy task! These grapes are notoriously difficult to cultivate. They are thin-skinned, sensitive to climatic and soil conditions, and require special handling both on the vine and in the winery.

Pinot Noir grapes thrive in cooler climates around the world. Cool temperatures slow down the grapes’ ripening, allowing them to develop complex flavours and aromas. Well-drained soil limits the vine’s water consumption and leads to the development of intense flavours.

Complex, elegant, and aromatic, Pinot Noir wines are typically light to medium-bodied, and have flavours of red fruit such as strawberries, cherries, and raspberries. Aging in barrels brings out hints of vanilla or oak, and the wine exhibits earthy undertones with spice and floral notes.

Pinot Noir grapes are also used to produce sparkling wines such as Champagne and other sparkling wines. Difficult or not, no wonder it’s the 10th most planted grape in the world and the second most planted red grape in B.C.!

Cowichan Valley Pinot Noir

The Cowichan Valley is a relative newcomer to the production of wine. Its first vineyards were planted in the 1970s. Today, the Valley is an “Official Wine Producing Region” and there are more than a dozen established wineries, many of which produce Pinot Noir.

The problem child of the grape world, Pinot Noir is a difficult grape to grow, but the Cowichan Valley’s cool, maritime climate and well-drained soils made up of clay, sand, and gravel help it to thrive here. Tourism Cowichan notes that Cowichan Valley Pinot Noir put the area on the wine-lovers’ map!

Wineries

The Cowichan Valley is a wine region that all Pinot Noir lovers should explore and experience. Local wineries produce exceptional Pinot Noir wines that showcase the area’s terroir. “Terroir” (pronounced tare-WAHR) translated from French, means “a sense of place.” It refers to the unique amalgamation of the grape variety, climate conditions, soil type, and production technique that combine in a unique way to create a wine that cannot be reproduced anywhere else.

Canadian wine journalist Anthony Gismondi, one of North America’s most influential voices in wine places three Pinot Noir wines from Cowichan Valley wineries on his Top 10 BC Pinot Noirs list.

Two Pinots from Unsworth Vineyards make the list’s top 5 and Unsworth Vineyard Pinot Noir Saison Vineyards 2020 tops the list! The winery’s Pinot Noir grapes are grown on the estate’s 12-acre vineyard, planted on well-drained, marine silt and sandy loam soils. The wines are aged in French oak barrels for 12 months giving them a smooth, velvety texture and a long, lingering finish.

The third Pinot Noir to make the list is from the Blue Grouse Estate Winery, one of the Cowichan Valley’s most notable Pinot Noir producers. The winery’s grapes are grown on the estate’s sustainably farmed vineyards on a south-facing slope overlooking the valley. The wine is aged in French oak barrels for 10 months, allowing subtle vanilla and spice tones to infuse the wine.

Another noteworthy Pinot Noir producer in the Cowichan Valley is Alderlea Vineyards, one of Vancouver Island’s oldest wineries. The winery’s Pinot Noir is produced using sustainable farming practices from grapes grown on the estate’s 5-acre vineyard. The wine is aged in French oak barrels for 10 months, adding complexity to the wine’s earthy notes and a long finish. Alderlea’s 2015 Pinot Noir was a Silver medal winner at the NorthWest Wine Summit.

On your next wine tour, try the Valley’s fabulous Pinot Noir wines!