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.
Central Otago is New Zealand's highest and the world's most southerly wine region situated at latitude 45º south. The climate is composed of very cold winters, hot summers, cool night time temperatures and very low rainfall. This combined with the mostly glacially derived soils, with rich deposits of mica and schist, is ideally suited to Pinot Noir (80% of the plantings), producing expressive and elegant wines. The region also produces a variety of white wines including Riesling, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. The wines of Central Otago have a purity, intensity and vibrancy reflective of the region's terroir and pure mountain air.
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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.
