Raise your glass for International Pinot Noir Day
New Zealand winemakers honour the grape with a unique history
TORONTO, Aug. 14, 2023 /CNW/ - Kiwis know best! In advance of International Pinot Noir Day on August 18, New Zealand Winegrowers are celebrating the country's leading red wine export by showcasing this delicate yet intense grape. Famous around the world, it has achieved recognition as a versatile palate pleaser.
Often playfully referred to as "The Diva Grape" or "The Heartbreak Grape", Pinot Noir is notoriously fickle and famously difficult to grow due to its thin skin. In New Zealand, Pinot Noir was only first commercially bottled in 1987, and now has an impressive 1.5 million cases exported annually.
"Pinot Noir is a wonderful choice as it is so versatile when it comes to food pairing and entertaining," says Melissa Stunden, Canadian Sommelier and New Zealand wine expert. "It's light enough for pizza, salmon or chicken but will also complement richer red meats."
As the name suggests, Pinot Noir is derived from the French word for pine and black. The New Zealand varietal is fruity, softer, and more expressive than wine produced in the grape's native home of Burgundy. It is predominantly grown in the cooler southern regions of the country including Wairarapa, Marlborough, Nelson, North Canterbury and Central Otago.
Here are some crowd-pleasing options to celebrate International Pinot Noir Day:
Stoneleigh Marlborough Pinot Noir - Lively and distinctive with plums and spice on the nose and more primary red fruits on the palate. A light to medium-bodied wine, it carries beautifully supple tannins and a gentle touch of nutmeg spice, white pepper and vanilla oak.
Kim Crawford Pinot Noir - This wine has a rich ruby colour with a nose that offers delicate notes of plum and strawberry. It has black cherry and subtle spice flavours with juicy and fine tannins.
Oyster Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir - Soft, elegant and silky, this wine has a pretty, floral nose, with dark fruit and berries, portobello mushroom, vanilla and cherry. Its sweet fruit tannins provide structure and length. This wine is made from 100% Marlborough fruit.
Find these exciting wines in your local liquor store.
For the best New Zealand Pinot Noir experience, serve at 15 degrees Celsius in a large round bell-shaped glass, which will collect the delicate aromas of the wine. Please enjoy these wines responsibly.
New Zealand wines draw inspiration from three unique properties: Purity, Innovation, and Care. New Zealand has the purity of unblemished sunlight, young soil, beautiful water and an absolute focus on the craft, a unique combination that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Our sense of adventure and innovation keeps us focused on doing things better, coupling the best of wine tradition with our 'in-built' ingenuity to constantly innovate. You can taste the care, respect and love our winegrowers put in every stage, cultivating sustainably and carefully crafting their grapes into world class wines.
SOURCE New Zealand Wine
Media Contact: Lauren Wasley, Carlaw Communications, [email protected], 647-883-9439
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