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Varietal: Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is responsible for some of the world’s finest wines. Famed for producing the red wines of Burgundy and the Côte d’Or in particular, it is now widely grown in cool climates across Califonia and Oregon, and with increasing success in New Zealand. Although typically used to produce varietal wines, Pinot Noir makes a significant contribution in the wines of Champagne, where it is vinified as a white wine and blended with Cardonnay and Pinot Meunier. On the whole, fresh summer fruit of strawberries, raspberries and red cherries tend to be the identifying qualities, however richer versions express darker fruit including black cherries (kirsch), cherry cola, leather and violets to name a few.
Country: Germany
Viticulturally unique, Germany's wine has improved in leaps and bounds thanks to the dedication of its leading producers and a succession of fortuitously warm growing seasons. Although Germany's focus is still in producing white wine, plantings of dark skinned varieties such as Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) are increasing rapidly. Riesling, Germany's classic varietal, has maintained a steady fifth of the total area under vines. In second place, Muller-Thurgau (a crossing between Riesling and Silvaner, Germany's third most popular white grape) has seen a dramatic decline. Spatburgunder is taking its place in many parts of southern Germany including Baden and Pfalz. More than doubling in the last 20 years, it is now the country’s third most popular variety overall, taking up roughly half the acreage of Riesling. Despite this change, US's imports still mainly reflects their white wine production, with Riesling remaining the most popular. For some of our bestselling regions see wines from the Mosel and Rheingau.
Region: Rheinhessen
Sub-Region:
Type: Red
Red wine is wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties. The color of red differs based on the grapes variety or varieties used.
Interestingly, black grapes yield a juice that is greenish-white. The actual red color comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) from the skin of the grape (exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice). Most of the production centers around the extraction of color and flavor from the grape skin.