Pinot Noir is the grape used to make the red wines of Burgundy in northern France. The reputation of those wines is so great that Pinot Noir from anywhere else is inevitably compared to the French model. That makes it tough, but the enthusiasm of wine makers around the world doesn’t seem to be blunted by the challenge.

Pinot production is up everywhere and new vineyards are still being planted. Aside from having to compete with Burgundy’s example, Pinot Noir is a difficult grape to grow, even for the French. Any true lover of the wine will admit that if Pinot Noir is sublime at times it can also be frustrating.

A good Pinot Noir looks translucent in the glass and displays fruity sweetness and a gentle, intriguing perfume, with soft tannins. The skin of the grape is thinner than some of the other black grapes (like Cabernet or Syrah for instance) and the taste profile is more subtle.

Pinots are elegant and medium bodied where some other reds are bold and rich. From the right vineyard, in a good year with a talented wine maker Pinot Noir can be as expressive as any wine, consistently interesting and appealing, wonderful with food and capable of real improvement with age. Young, it is like a bowl of summer warmed raspberries but with some maturity Pinot Noir takes on complex vegetal, even animal-like scents. A fine, aged red Burgundy from a cru vineyard challenges the taster and defies exact description.

From a wine maker’s perspective, the quandary with Pinot Noir is that the vineyards that bring out the best in the grape are in marginal areas where simple ripening is often difficult.

Burgundy in northern France, the Willamette Valley in Oregon, Carneros and higher altitude vineyards in California and New Zealand’s coastal vineyards are all threatened with late spring and early fall cold and rain. Pinot Noir is thin skinned so it is more vulnerable to various vineyard pests and diseases as well as bad weather.

If planted in warmer, more generous climates Pinot Noir too often loses its edge of acidity and complexity and yields a simple, juicy wine. So you risk, and maybe make good or great wine or, you play it safe and make simple or average wine.

This translates to expense for you in the wine shop or at your local restaurant. It’s a general rule of thumb among sommeliers that, “good Pinot Noir is not cheap and cheap Pinot is never good”. And, because this particular wine’s best often comes from more difficult environments, vintages can make a big difference in quality.

From Burgundy, keep in mind that Bourgogne Rouge is the most basic level of quality. A so-called village wine, one that bears the name of a specific village in Burgundy (like Volney or Gevrey-Chambetin) is the next step up. These wine are where value can be found and, if you choose a basic Bourgogne made by a good producer you can score a great value.

Permier Cru and Grand Cru wines are the very best and they can be quite expensive. They will often have a village name as well as the name of a specific vineyard (like Le Ruchots or Clos de Beze) on the label. Burgundy is all about little vineyards, lots of them, and very fine differences between wines. In Oregon or other places outside France, wines that have a more general geographic identity (like California) will have less distinction than wines with more specific identity (like Willamette Valley or Shea Vineyard).

The range of price for Pinot Noir wines can go from $9 per bottle to $250 and more, based upon the reputation of the vineyard and the wine maker and the specificity of the place it comes from. If very little wine can be made from a single vineyard location then it will cost more per bottle. The frustration comes when you open a bottle that should be great to find that fragile, subtle Pinot Noir is missing its elegant finesse.

It’s up to you to judge value. A good working definition of “value” is, the point at which you feel like you’re getting more than you pay for. For some wine drinkers that will be the $11 Carneros Pinot and for others it will be the $25 village-level Burgundy.

The great thing about Pinot Noir is that it is expressive. It does taste differently depending upon its origin, and the vintage, and it is subtle, elegant and charming. It is the perfect wine with game bird because of its earthy undertones, especially an aged Pinot. It’s also a great choice in a restaurant where some are having chicken or fish and others are having red meat, because it is neither weak nor overpowering. Pinot Noir is always a wonderful partner with food and the bottle you buy should be as good as the dinner you’re planing to serve.

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Pinot Noir belongs to the Vitis vinifera species and this name may also be referred to wines manufactured chiefly from pinot noir fruit grapes. Basically, the name is a French word for pine and black brought up to the compactly clustered bunch of fruit varietals. They are being grown everywhere in the world, yet most are cultivated in the colder regions.

A pinot noir was known to thrive in the burgundy region of France, predominantly on a department in eastern part of the country named Cote-d’Or. They are the locations highly recognized as the makers of the most renowned wines in the world for centuries. This grape variety can also be found in the country Switzerland, South Africa, New Zealand, Moldova, Germany, Chile, Canada, Australia, Argentina and Austria.

The United States progressively becomes a major producer of pinot noir, with several of the most regarded hailed from Willamette Valley Oregon, Sonoma Country in California, Appellations in Sonoma Coast and the South Coasts Santa Rita Hills in the county of Santa Barbara.

Pinot noirs tremendously produce a broad array of impressions, textures and flavors and these factors oftentimes confuse the tasters. Broadly speaking, the pinot noir wine has a light aroma suggestive of currant, raspberry or black cherry. The traditional pinot noir in red burgundy gets popular because of its farmyard-like, fleshy scent; however changing fashions as well as latest easier-to-cultivate clones favored a fruitier, lighter style.

Pinot noir has also been utilized in producing champagnes and it is grown in the world’s most wine growing areas, for sparkling and still wines. The variety that is grown for dry table wine generally results to unhealthy and low-yielding fruit. Additionally, they are also used for still rose wines as well as gris vin white wines. Historically, pinot noirs are an ancient grape variety that may only be one to two generations eliminated from uncultivated vines.

This wine well suits different kinds of foods. They can be well matched to have with pork, lamb, ham, fish, beef and poultry. It does also fine with sauces that are creamy, spicy seasonings. Because of its versatility to food pairing, this wine is dubbed as the most adaptable food wine in the world.

In fact, the host decided to go to Willamette University to have lunch, and it was the quality of the food which intrigued him. He noted the menu, which was quite inexpensive, contained cuisine that was not only considered above average, but was prepared by an in-house chef whose gourmet style was well known in culinary circles.

As the host continued the tour of the city, he came upon the Willamette winery, wherein the owner explained their winery was built before the winery in the Napa Valley, and went on to point out their Pinot Noir was perhaps the best in the country.

As a college town, Salem has a wide range of cultural amenities as well. The host pointed out the beauty of its landscapes, and continued to impress upon the viewers the warmth and hospitality of its residents.

I think when one considers a place to retire; it is this kind of town which is more attractive and conducive to retirees than others. Cuisine aside, living in a city that offers diversity, culture, and history are important aspects for a retiree – especially if they have been participants in the same sort of culture back home.

College towns seem to thrive more than others. Perhaps it is the nature of young people occupying a city and enhancing its culture and their ability to make their town one that becomes more than family-oriented, and attracts people who want to be a part of something special.

Salem, Oregon is not only an ideal college town, but an ideal place to retire as well.

The Baden region is the southernmost wine-growing region in Germany. Most of its many vineyards are found in a long, narrow strip between the Black Forest and the Rhine River. Across this river lies the French wine region of Alsace. While about 60% of the wine production is white, by far the most important Baden grape variety is the red Pinot Noir. White varieties include the German-bred Müller Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Riesling. Baden ranks third in Germany for both vineyard acreage and total wine production. Slightly over one third of its wine production is QbA wine, the remainder is the higher quality QmP wine. Baden produces no table wine.

If you’re going to be in Baden, why not visit Baden-Baden? This town, simply called Baden until 1931, is the center of a famous spa taking advantage of the local hot springs already known to the Ancient Romans. The city offers a casino, the oldest casino in Germany. It was here that the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote The Gambler to pay off his gambling debts, while not increasing them at the tables. Be sure to visit Abtei Lichtenthal, a medieval Cistercian abbey. The Festspielhaus Baden-Baden (Baden-Baden Festival Theatre) is Germany’s largest opera house and concert hall with 2,500 seats.

Before reviewing the Baden wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Schwarzwälder Schinken (Black Forest Ham).
Continue with Forelle (Trout) done in dozens of ways.
For dessert indulge yourself with Schwarzwälder Torte (Black Forest Cake, Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream and Cherries).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Konigschaffhausen Pinot Noir 2003 13.0% alcohol about $15

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. The hot growing season of 2003 facilitated a level of ripeness in the vineyards of many regions, including Baden, that was almost unprecedented. Expect ripe strawberry, cherry, and plum aromas and flavors. This Pinot would complement grilled salmon or veal chops.

My first meal consisted of breaded, fried chicken breast with potato salad, eggplant, and tomato salad. Perhaps because I knew that the wine was a Pinot Noir, I tasted the earth and a bit of tobacco. I really enjoyed this combination.

For my next tasting, I started with a tomato-based eggplant salad and humus topped by very piquant Moroccan spices. I continued with beef stew and potatoes. Once again I knew this Pinot Noir was a Pinot Noir and I enjoyed it all the way.

The final meal wasn’t really a meal. It was a late night snack of cold barbequed chicken. The wine was excellent and tasted of light cherries. At first I thought it was short, but later sips changed my mind.

As often, I tried this wine with two cheeses. The first was an overripe French Camembert, a soft cow’s milk cheese. The wine became flatter, and while it was still fruity what a shame to combine the two. It was as if somebody shaved the top off the wine. I guess you know by now that German Limberger cheese can be quite pungent; this one was certainly starting to smell but interestingly enough the odor didn’t really affect its taste. My Pinot Noir retained a bit more of its fruit than when paired with the Camembert, but frankly, why waste this wine with this cheese?

Final verdict. I’m going to buy this wine again. The 2003 vintage is no longer available so I’ll grab the 2004 and see what a difference a year makes.

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I say all this because we receive samples from wineries and do not sample all their wines at one time in one sitting. With that said it does take us longer to get through all the wines sent to us, we are not complaining in the least. We attempt to mix the wine up and not do all one winery rating at a time. We have chosen to enjoy each wine that is sent to us with a meal or a special occasion. We figure the winery or importer went through the trouble to send us wine, the least we can do is give it a fair tasting. To us that means one wine, one meal, one rating.

We decanted this 06 Pinot for almost an hour and began our tasting. The color was light ruby red with hints of purple. This wine had great legs that showed a little of the body and alcohol content. Our nose was greeted with mild earth aroma and over ripe fruit. Our palate was greeted with a medium sour cherry taste that lingered a while. This wine had a medium finish with a not bad, sour cherry after taste. We looked forward to pairing this with our meal of the night.

KD made salmon and capers, one of my favorite meals. OK so all of her meals that she makes are pretty much my favorite, but who is keeping track. Did we just say red wine and fish? Yes we did. I believe a lot of people do not know that is OK to mix it up a bit. A medium to light red wine particularly a Pinot goes great with fish and with our Salmon it should pair pretty good,! We paired this wine with Salmon, fresh steamed spinach and rock salt topped yam slices. The meal was to die for, the wine “…” was just fair to OK. We rated it the same with and without the meal, really no difference to distinguish.

You can find this wine for about $35.00. In all fairness this winery suggests you pair this with Spicy Thai or calamari. Maybe you can try that and get back with us!!!

As a side note wine enthusiast rated this 89 points.

We rate this wine (Fair-OK)

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / OK / Good / Great / Fantastic

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it is always worth a try, tell us what you think!

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Dessert wines are very sweet, and are typically much thicker and richer than table wines.  The servings of dessert wines are much smaller than table wines.  They are usually served with dessert following a meal because the sweetness of dessert wines complements the sweetness of desserts.

Like any wine and food pairing, it’s essential to pair dessert wines with foods that they will balance nicely.  Dessert wines should always be sweeter than the dessert with which they are served.  The reason for this is that if your dessert is sweeter than the wine, the wine will taste bitter after you take a bite of dessert.  However, if the wine is sweeter than the dessert, taking a bite of dessert will actually calm the sweetness of the wine somewhat.

Finding dessert wines to go well with chocolate desserts can pose a great challenge, since it’s rare to find a dessert wine that is richer and sweeter than a chocolate dessert. 

Types of Dessert Wines

The very definition of a dessert wine is the topic of debate in the wine community.  In the United States, the legal definition of a dessert wine is one that is fortified and contains more than 15% alcohol by volume.  However, many people believe that it is the sugar content that makes the distinction.  After all, some fortified wines with more than 15% alcohol are in fact aperitifs, meant to be consumed before eating, not after.

Sherry is perhaps the most well-known of dessert wines.  It is typically made in Spain.  Port follows closely in popularity as a well-known dessert wine originating in Portugal.  Marsala (from Italy) and Madeira (from Portugal) are other popular choices of fortified dessert wines.

There are also several non-fortified wines which may be used as dessert wines in some instances, such as Moscato d’Asti and Vin Santo (of Italian origin) and Sauternes or Champagne Doux (from France).

How Dessert Wines are Made

Grapes destined to be made into dessert wines are harvested when they are at a higher sugar content than table wine grapes.  Their ageing process is halted before all of the sugar is able to ferment, leaving a distinct residual sweetness.  Then, either additional alcohol (usually brandy) is added to make fortified wine, or the immature wine is concentrated to condense the alcohol content. 

Though choosing a dessert wine can seem intimidating, it’s actually a very enjoyable process.  They tend to be more expensive than table wines, but they also last much longer due to the small portions.  When you find a dessert wine that you enjoy, you will never want to end a meal without it again.

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Dessert wines refer to wines that are generally served after meals together with the desert. However, this particular kind of wine can also be gulped on its own – that is even without those sugary desserts. Examples of popular dessert wines are “trockenbeerenauslese,” “Sauternes,” beerenauslese,” and “Tokaji Asz?.”

To learn more about dessert wines, here is a list of some facts about these delightful and extremely sweet wines:

1. Dessert wines are mainly produced from special fruits that were left to ripen on the vine. The main purpose of this is to make the flavor stronger. The kinds of fruits used in making dessert wines are the ones that define the overall taste or flavor of the wine.

2. In the United States, dessert wines generally contains 14% alcohol, though, it may contain than 14%.

During the ancient times, dessert wines were primarily used as “table wines.” For this reason, ancient dessert wines only contain 12.5% alcohol or less. This means that the alcohol content is so mild that you can almost drink it as a substitute for water or any beverages during meal.

3. The more ripened the fruit is, the more alcohol is generated when produced into dessert wine. Most of these wines are classified as “dry” and “unfortified” or those that were not combined with spirits like brandy. The inclusion of spirits during the fermentation of the wine is the process of fortifying the wine.

Adding spirits at the early stage of fermentation results to a sweeter wine. However, its alcohol content is raised to as much as 15% to 20% upon the swift concoction of alcohol.

However, there are unfortified wines that can still reach up to 15% alcohol content. These kinds of wines, like the “Zinfandels,” are charged with higher tax rates.

4. Not all dessert wines are alcoholic beverages. Many dessert wines contain lower amount of alcohol content. Most of these non-alcoholics or with low alcohol content wines are those from Germany. These kinds of dessert wines contain the slightest amount of alcohol or only goes to as much as 8%.

Given all these facts, dessert wines aren’t just wines suited for desserts, as its name suggests. With their remarkable features, the possibilities of enjoying dessert wines are definitely endless.

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A good dessert wine serves to bring about the best in every dessert. The popular notion of wine is different when it comes to dessert wines though; this is because dessert wines are especially sweet. As such, a dessert that doesn’t compete with the sugariness of the wine is a good option. For instance, dark chocolates that contain more than half of cocoa ingredients in it go well with a dessert wine. The basic guide then in choosing matching desserts and wines is to get to know how different dessert wine selections taste like.

Sauternes wines from France are made from Sémillon grape, Sauvignon Blanc, or Muscadelle grapes. These wines almost have a yellowish or golden colour and they have a citrus taste. The Gewürztraminer and Tokay Pinot Gris wines in particular are great with chocolates and other intensely flavourful afters.

Meanwhile, in Portugal, the port red wines are known for their enticing flavours and alcohol content. They come in tawny, ruby, and vintage varieties. Tawny ports have a suave nut-like tang to it that go well with toffee and milk chocolates. In the meantime, vintage ports are so zesty that they are best with banana cream pies, dark chocolates, and walnuts. All the port varieties are generally enhanced with pumpkin pies, cheesecakes, chocolate mousse and cobblers. Similarly, Vin Santo from Italy has a nutty essence that is likened to a hazelnut. The sweetness is not that much that it can be taken with almond cakes, almond shortbreads, and biscotti.

Interestingly, there are wines that are manufactured from grapes that are covered with ice on the vine. In Germany, they are appropriately called ice wines and they have a balanced, sugar-enriched and invigorating acid flavour. Consequently, ice wines can be paired off with desserts like apples, peaches, pears and hazelnuts. Thinking about ice wines might make you imagine ice cream with dessert wine together, but unfortunately, the cold can mute the taste buds that sorbets are not to be served with sweet wines.

Muscat wines are for individuals who enjoy munching on raisins as they are crushed from grapes that are typically made into raisins. It likewise has this rich aroma and a taste that is very similar with mild fruits such as peaches and apricots. To achieve the palatable temptation of Muscat wines, the dessert should be composed of smooth Tiramisu, milk chocolate or white chocolate.

All these wines are highly recommended, however, tasting them on your own can prove to be delightful for you and your guests. This experience then can be used until wine and dessert matching becomes an addition to your expertise.

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I remember a Parisian friend who laughed and laughed at the idea that the Germans would make a wine out of rotted grapes picked individually off the vines, never knowing that the French also do so. I have never tasted a top of the line Sauternes but did taste a second quality one that was boring. As I am writing these lines I see for sale a 1935 Sauternes for well over $400. What luck that the closest bottle is a two-hour drive away.

Trockenbeerenauslese wine is produced in most German wine regions, but usually represents only about one percent of the total wine production. So these wines are not often available, especially in a fairly moderate price range. They are often sold in half-bottles. Given their sweetness and their thickness, they are wines for sipping. A bit of advice to the youth: If you are going to get drunk, stay away from machinery, cars, boats, and power tools. And don’t get drunk or even drink a lot of such sweet wines. You won’t enjoy them at the time, and you’ll feel really sick afterward.

Unlike the other articles in this series, we are not proposing any sample menu. And we didn’t have the heart to try this wine with cheese, whether high quality or not. Actually sweet wines are often paired with cheese – but not here.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Anselmann Ortega Trockenbeerenauslese 1999 11% alcohol about $28 (half-bottle)

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. This multi-award winning wine is made from the seldom seen Ortega grape, a cross between Mueller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe. Ortega’s full-flavored nature and very bright fruitiness make it a natural for creating dessert wines. Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) is the German designation for totally botrytis-affected wines, similar in style to Bordeaux’s Sauternes. The sweet, ripe, soft and very approachable full-bodied wine is an excellent dessert onto itself or serve it with mature cheeses. And now for my review.

Alone the wine was very disappointing, perhaps because decades passed between my first hearing of this wine, and finally tasting it. The first pairing alongside an apple cake with mint chocolate was excellent.

I then tried it with thin biscuits containing sliced almonds and pistachios. The wine had a nice and thick texture. The TBA was quite long and very powerful. A tiny sip filled one’s mouth. It was pleasantly sour. This is the sort of wine that you don’t want to have every day. I didn’t rush the pairings; this wine won’t spoil, at least not for a long, long time.

The next pairing was with high-quality chocolate-covered orange peels. The wine had just the right acidity and sweetness, however not very complex flavors. It was not excellent but very pleasurable. Then I went to homemade biscotti with fine apricot preserves. This dessert intensified the TBA’s fruit. Another pairing was with a ripe honeydew. The wine was sweet and syrupy, the word luscious came to mind and there were lots and lots of flavors.

Then followed (perhaps weeks later) a homemade orange cake with chocolate and fresh strawberries. The combo intensified the wine’s orange flavors. Another time I went with a really fine chocolate covered vanilla ice cream bar. At first the wine seemed to disappear but it was fairly long. Sweet and sweet went together, and I felt decadent. When the ice cream was gone, the drop or two of wine that remained in the glass was mouth filling. We are almost at the end of the bottle.

With an Almond Raspberry Crostata pie the TBA remained strong and musky; the dominant taste was apricot. The last pairing was with a very lemony French pie whose crust was loaded with butter. Great combo. Citrus and more.

Final verdict. I like this wine, but there are plenty of dessert wines to try and to retry.

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