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.
Two hundred miles south east of Paris lies the famous and historic wine region, known in French as Bourgogne. The Cote d'Or, the heartland of the region, consists of two distinct sub-regions split on either side of the town of Beaune.The Côte de Nuits to the north, includes the famous villages of Vosne-Romanee, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Nuits-Saint-Georges and are known primarily for making red wine from Pinot Noir.Although The Côte de Beaune to the south still makes some magnificent reds (see Volnay and Pommard), white wine made from Chardonnay is the main focus. The most famous villages are Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Burgundy has three other important regions. The village of Chablis (exclusively Chardonnay) encompassing the region's most northerly vineyards. The Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais to south are quantitatively speaking more important. Agriculture is more diverse with a significant portion of the land devoted to livestock and arable farming.
With a history spanning back to the Romans, this small village has made a large contribution to viticulture. With nearly 400 hectares under vine, it is one of the Cote de Beaune's largest communes. It was also here in the mid 19th century that the first viticultural tractor was invented, transforming vineyards around the world into the orderly rows we recognize now. The river Rhoin and the differences in soil divide the style and character of the village’s wine, perhaps more so than in any other village. The south facing premier crus - Les Vergelesses, Les Talmettes, and Les Lavieres, at the top of the commune, make elegant, medium weight Pinot Noir. Those on the sandier, southern side, such as Les Narbanton, Rouvrettes, and Peuillets make, on the whole, more earthy, structured wines, closer in style to the nearby vineyards in Beaune. A little white wine is made, some of which has Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris added in small amounts contributing a touch of spice. On the whole, Savigny offers good value for money.
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.
