The Pinot posse

The Fête de Pinot Noir celebrated those dedicated, perhaps foolhardy souls who are bewitched by the siren song of what is often referred to as The Heartbreak Grape. These intrepid vintners, who toil in vineyards and cellars in various corners of the world, came together for a special tasting event to show their wares and share their experiences with the notoriously fickle grape.

If the Lifford Wine Agency had staged such an event five years ago, the morning panel discussion dubbed The World of Pinot Noir could just as easily been called Misery & Company. Instead of taking on the tone of a support group meeting, however, the atmosphere at this trade tasting was downright jovial. Producers in New Zealand, United States, South Africa, Canada, Australia as well as France, Germany and Italy have enjoyed measured success with Pinot of late. Not only is consumer acceptance on the rise, so is the quality of the wines being turned out.

Steve Green, owner of New Zealand’s Carrick Wines, largely credits the recent rash of good fortune to partnerships that have been forged by serious Pinot Noir producers. Winemakers are traveling more, working harvests in different regions to gain more insight and perspective.

There are also large-scale community-building events, such as the annual International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon, that unite the tribe of Pinot devotees.

“Pinot Noir is probably the only variety where worldwide relationships are built,” Green said. “There’s so much interaction between the various regions.

Green insists the collaboration isn’t being done to create one specific, accepted style for the grape variety. Rather, it’s about sharing resources and advice in a bid to help each other sort of how to produce the best possible regional expressions of Pinot Noir.

“We’re not looking to mirror what’s happening somewhere else,” he continued. “We’re not looking to make Burgundy Pinot Noir in Central Otago.”

Oregon winemaker Rob Stuart, of R. Stuart and Co. Winery, suggested light-heartedly that much of the bonding between producers comes not only because of a shared love of Pinot, but also a shared character flaw.

“We love to live in a world of chaos and try to make order out of it,” he said. Even rugged individualists and wide-eyed eccentrics, it seems, can appreciate that there’s strength in numbers.