A Pinot Primer
For those whose interest in Pinot extends beyond the label and what is in the glass, there are a number of good new resources available.

The “go to” books are North American Pinot Noir and Pacific Pinot Noir , both by John Winthrop Haegar. Exceptional and comprehensive resources. Pacific Pinot Noir was issued in the Fall of 2008 and is therefore current on this rapidly changing environment.
The Heartbreak Grape is the story of Josh Jensen and Calera Wine Company. It chronicles the gratifications and costs of pursuing an iconoclastic, single minded vision to create great Pinot. A cautionary tale, but with a happy ending as Jensen’s vision comes to fruition after decades of labor.

My First Crush is the story of a couple who, seemingly on a whim, buy an Oregon Pinot winery and pursue a completely new life. It is charming and engaging and in a much lighter way illuminates the difficulties of entering the wine business.

The Grail is subtitled “A year rambling & shambling through an Oregon vineyard in pursuit of the best pinot noir wine in the whole wild world.” This sums up the series of essays written over the course of a year spent at Lange Winery in Dundee, Oregon. Interesting, but the writing is over the top. One senses the writer needs to taste and travel more before making grand pronouncements about who and where makes the best Pinot, as his experience seems to be entirely confined to Willamette Valley.

The Prince of Pinot and the Pinot Report are websites that detail all of the happenings in the Pinot world. Both are now by subscription only, but if bitten by the bug, are well worth the rather modest annual cost.

Cheers,

Dave