Putting Together the Details of Oregon Pinot Noir

Some wines require a rigorous application of brain power to extract meaning and pleasure. Sherry, for example. Others, like pinot noir, go straight to the heart.

If you were to select a red for a curious alien who wondered about this thing called wine, pinot noir would be an excellent candidate for inviting further inquiry.

More than many other red wines, pinot noir lends itself to extravagant descriptions. Its glorious aromas and complex flavors, which seem to shift shape moment to moment like clouds drifting across the sky, inspire the sort of grocery-list descriptions that break down a wine into pieces but never capture it in its entirety.

Here at Wine School, we prefer to examine a wine's character rather than list its characteristics. That is, we try to find meaning in the details. The wines we've been drinking for the last month, pinot noirs from the Willamette Valley of Oregon, offer much material for interpretation.

For the complete story see: New York Times