I am looking forward to hosting another Blind Wine Tasting. The theme for this evening will be exploring Pinot Noir from outside of the most prominent Pinot regions of Burgundy, California, and Oregon. This should be fun for a few reasons:
- Unique Expressions. Pinot Noir is super sensitive to its environment — climate, soil, elevation, and even local flora all can influence the flavor. Pinot from lesser-known regions may give us a fresh take on a familiar grape.
- Bang for Buck. Some of the best Pinot values are not from Burgundy, Sonoma, Santa Barbera, or Willamette Valley. Regions that aren’t top-tier "brand names" may offer favorable quality-to-price ratios — especially from talented producers who are flying under the radar.
- New Personality. Exploring other Pinot regions may help discover winemakers who aren’t bound by tradition. They might be experimenting with low-intervention farming, natural wine production techniques, or different fermentation vessels— which can lead to some really fun, personality-driven bottles.
- Expanding Palate. If we always drink Pinot from the same three places, its kind of limiting. Branching out helps to understand what we actually love about Pinot: Is it the fruit? The structure? The earthiness? Discovering that through contrast makes our understanding sharper.
Potential selections include:
- Germany (Spätburgunder): Earthier, often lighter, and with bright acidity. The Ahr and Baden regions are particularly exciting.
- · New Zealand (Central Otago): Vibrant, fruit-forward styles with wild herb and spice notes. A mix of Burgundian finesse and New World boldness.
- Chile (Casablanca or Limarí Valley): Cool-climate Pinot that’s often more affordable, with great balance and a clean, mineral edge.
- South Africa (Walker Bay or Elgin): Earthy, smoky, and structured. These wines often walk a fine line between Old and New World style.
- Other: Argentina (Patagonia), Italy (Pinot Nero), Switzerland, Austria, Finger Lakes NY, Canada, England, etc.
Please bring a bottle of Pinot Noir from any region other than France or California/Oregon (let’s say no sparkling or rosé for this evening, just still) in a brown paper wine bag, four glasses, and some food to share. Location will be at my home in Dedham. Address will be shared the day before, street parking available and walking distance from the Endicott commuter rail T stop. Make sure you can receive emails from Meetup since the details will be provided through there. Also, please update your RSVP if plans change and you are unable to attend, for those on the waitlist.
The start time is 6:00pm on Saturday 14-June for some sparkling/snacks/intros/conversation, and the blind tasting will begin at 6:30-45ish. If the weather cooperates, we will taste outside on the porch. And just a heads up that my kids (8 and 9) will be around, so please be prepared for and OK with a potential interruption or two. We also have two short haired cats who will stay upstairs.
