What's Going On in the World of French Wines

There are few grapes that are as complex and fascinating as Pinot Noir. I’ve often heard it said that there are very few winemakers out there who don’t consider it the Holy Grail of winemaking – making good Pinot Noir is a challenge. Unlike Chardonnay, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir doesn’t seem to accept mediocrity well. It is a grape that is very demanding – some even call it the “Heartbreak Grape.”

What makes Pinot Noir so finicky? Well, for starters, it is a bit of a temperature sensitive grape. It prefers cooler climates and it tends to like limestone soils – two reasons why it does so well in Burgundy. It is also a …

While many people are aware that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are two of the grapes used to make Champagne, few people know that there is a third grape that is typically used in the blend: Pinot Meunier.

Pinot Meunier has a fairly interesting history. Meunier is the French word for miller – a person who grinds grain into flour. The underside of the leaves of this grape can look as if they have been coated with flour, thus the name “Meunier.” You might be wondering if Pinot Meunier is related to Pinot Noir and in fact, Pinot Meunier is a mutation of Pinot Noir, so the two grapes do share some things in common. …