Winemaker Notes
Some classic pairs include cold cuts, duck, roast beef, pizza and dry cheeses. If feeling more adventurous, try pairing with risotto, lamb, Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisines, caesar salads, parmesan cheese and fondue.
Pinot Noir from the Pays d’Oc region is vinified in the traditional Burgundy method; de-stemming and crushing followed by cold maceration and a two week fermentation period in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Part of the juice is then aged in Burgundy barrels using only French oak, the rest kept in the tank. The winemaker then creates the best blend of both juices while respecting the rich Pinot Noir fruit.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A catchall term for the area surrounding the Languedoc and Roussillon, Pays d’Oc is the most important IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) in France, producing 85% of this country’s wine under the IGP designation. (IGP indicates wine of good quality, not otherwise elevated to the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status.)
The near perfect Mediterranean climate combined with dry, cool winds from the north, optimal soils, altitudes and exposures make Pays d’Oc an ideal wine growing region. Single varietal wines and blends are possible here and while many types of grapes do well in Pays d’Oc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grenache and Cinsault are among the most common.