Pinot Noir

You’ve heard of the Sideways effect, right? The movie is about 2 guys, one a connoisseur and one a bit of an oaf, taking a weekend trip up to wine country. Miles, the oenophile, loves Pinot Noir and describes it as:

A quote from Miles and Sideways...

“Uh, I don't know, I don't know. Um, it's a hard grape to grow, as you know. Right? It's uh, it's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It's, you know, it's not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and uh, thrive even when it's neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression. Then, I mean, oh its flavors, they're just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and... ancient on the planet.”

Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? I, of course, contributed to the Sideways effect over the last couple years and tried a few Pinot’s. I’ve only found a couple that really impressed me and I’ve had a few that reminded me of dirty diapers… seriously. I wasn’t a big fan of Pinot, but something always kept tugging at me to try others. Amanda and I took a trip to Seattle a bit ago and I decided I’d go full tilt Pinot. I did flights of Pinot, bought some Pinot, had Pinot at the restaurant. I tried to discover if there were identifiable nuances that I could embrace. Amanda had liked Pinot, but even she couldn’t take the onslaught of Pinot.

There were none. I’ve decided I am not a Pinot fan and I’ve gotten the Sideway’s effect out of my system. Oh, I’ll still enjoy a glass of Pinot when available, but I’m not going to be buying much of it. Big cabs, good blends, even a fruity Merlot are more my poison of choice.

The next target I’m on is Chardonnay. I think Amanda is coming with me on this quest, but we’ll see. More on that later.