California’s Pinot Noir & Chardonnay Grapes

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a white vinifera grape variety. It’s a cross between the Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc grape varieties. Wente in California is famous for cloning Chardonnay from Burgundy in 1912. That clone, called the Wente clone, is the source material for nearly 80% of American Chardonnay plantings today.

Chardonnay is one of the most planted white grapes in the world, with over 500,000 acres planted worldwide. There are more than 100,00 acres planted in the U.S.

Chardonnay is known as a winemaker’s grape, because it can grow in many climates and it’s easy to work with in the cellar. It allows a winemaker creative license to make it light and elegant, or full-bodied and buttery.

From crisp unoaked versions from cool climates, to full-bodied and oak-aged versions from more moderate climates, and even to sparkling blanc de blancs, the flavors of Chardonnay can vary significantly, while also retaining common characteristics.

Chardonnay’s flavors swing from lemon zest and chalky minerality to baked apple and tropical fruits like pineapple. There are two reasons for this wide range in flavors: climate and harvest date. The cooler the climate, the more citrus notes become apparent in the grapes. The same applies to grapes that are harvested earlier. In warmer climates and later harvests, grapes develop more sugar and lose some acidity. Its flavors develop into riper, richer fruits. These are called primary flavors, because they derive directly from the grape.

Chardonnay has secondary flavors that come from the winemaking process. These flavors can include coconut, vanilla and baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, which come from the use of oak. There can also be a “buttery” flavor if the wine goes through malolactic fermentation, or MLF. This is a process that converts malic acid into lactic acid. Winemakers can encourage this conversion to reduce the perception of sharp malic acid in favor of the rounder, creamier lactic acid.

There is also a winemaking style called unoaked, or “Chablis style” Chardonnay.  A winemaker who wants their wine to taste crisp and bright often uses stainless steel to ferment and store the wine before bottling. This limits the influence of oxygen and retains the wine’s fresh character. These wines rarely go through MLF.

The California wine regions that seem to favor producing premium quality Chardonnay are the ones that are most influenced, climatically, by coastal fogs that can slow the ripening of the grape and give it more time to develop its flavors. The northern regions such as Alexander Valley, Los Carneros, Santa Maria Valley, Russian River Valley, and other parts of Sonoma County have shown success in producing wines that reflect more Burgundian styles. These wines often have flavors of ripe apples, lemon, honey, and a flinty minerality. The warmer regions further to the south such as Monterey County and Santa Barbara County can produce wines with stone fruit, baked apple, and tropical fruit flavors like guava and pineapple. These wines may also show more vanilla from oak treatment, as well as a buttery note from MLF. A large portion of the Californian sparkling wine industry uses Chardonnay grapes from the Carneros, Alexander, and Russian River valleys.

Excerpts from: Wikipedia Chardonnay  Wine Enthusiast: The essential guide to Chardonnay

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name comes from the French words for “pine” and “black,” a reference to the pine-cone shape of its clusters on the vine and the color of the grapes.

Pinot Noir is grown around the world, mostly in cooler climates. Pinot Noir is used to make red wines, as well as Champagne and sparkling wines. Regions that have gained a reputation for red Pinot Noir wines include the Willamette Valley of Oregon; the Carneros, Central Coast, Sonoma Coast , and Russian River AVAs of California.

In the vineyard, Pinot Noir is sensitive to wind and frost, cropping levels (it must be low yielding for the production of quality wines), soil types, and pruning techniques. In the winery, it is sensitive to fermentation methods and yeast strains and is highly reflective of its terroir, with different regions producing very different wines. Its thin skin makes it susceptible to bunch rot and similar fungal diseases. The vines themselves are susceptible to powdery mildew, leaf roll, and fanleaf viruses causing significant vine health problems. These complications have given the grape a reputation for being difficult to grow.

Typically, Pinot Noir is dry, light- to medium-bodied, with bright acidity, silky tannins and alcohol that ranges between 12–15%. The best Pinot Noir taste has complex flavors that include cherry, raspberry, mushroom and forest floor, plus vanilla and baking spice when aged in French oak. Pinot Noir wine taste varies based on climate and producer style. Cooler climates produce more delicate and light-bodied Pinot Noir. Warmer climates produce riper and fuller-bodied Pinot Noirs with higher alcohol. Some producers age their wines in 100% new French oak which creates a fuller, textured wine.

The best food pairings for Pinot Noir complement the wine’s pretty fruit flavors, bright acidity and elegant style. These qualities make Pinot Noir a perfect partner to lighter red meats like duck and lamb, or white meats like turkey, pork and chicken. Fuller-flavored fish like salmon go well, or using bolder tasting cooking methods on fish as well. Earthy vegetables and herbs like mushrooms and thyme match the wine’s savory flavors, especially when folded into risotto and pasta.

Excerpts from: Wikipedia: Pinot Noir    Wine Enthusiast: Essential guide to Pinot Noir