Pinot Noir is a variety of wine made from grapes of the same name. Considered one of the great grapes of Burgundy, Pinot Noir is used in the production of French Burgundy and Champagne as well as United States and South American Pinot Noir varietal wines. In Germany it is called Spätburgunder.
While Pinot Noir can vary dramatically, the wine tends to be of light to medium body with an aroma reminiscent of black cherry, raspberry or currant. Generally, Pinot Noir is produced as a red wine, although Pinot Noir is used in the production of most Champagne and some rosé still wines.
Originally produced in France, in recent years Pinot Noir has become a popular grape in wines from, amongst other places, California, New Zealand and Chile, with some of the best regarded coming from the Willamette Valley in Oregon and the Russian River Valley in California. As a rule, the better pinot noirs are grown in climates at the colder end of the spectrum for wine growing.
Pinot Noir is a low-yielding grape, generally quite difficult to grow well. Therefore, the resulting wines are often expensive.
