General information about Pinot Noir vine variety :

The noble grape Pinot Noir is one of the oldest and highest quality red wine varieties in the world. The variety seems to be a direct descendant of wild vines from Burgundy, which were widespread as far north as France until the phylloxera catastrophe in the mid-19th century. Historically, there is evidence dating back to Roman times. The variety was introduced to Germany in 884 by Emperor Charles III as “Clävner”. There is evidence that the monks of the Cistercian monastery of Eberbach cultivated Pinot Noir in the Rheingau under the name Klebrot around 1440. Pinot Noir requires great skill and expertise from the winegrower in the vineyard and cellar. The variety is widespread throughout the world in cooler growing areas or those close to the sea, which guarantee slow ripening at moderate temperatures to preserve the aroma. In France, apart from Burgundy, these are Champagne, the Loire Valley, Alsace and the higher vineyards of the Languedoc. Pioneers in Germany are the Ahr, Baden and the Pfalz, where ambitious winegrowers produce dense, extract-rich wines with barrique maturation. Pinot Noir is also popular in Switzerland as Dôle and in Austria under the synonym Blauburgunder. But the New World also offers interesting Pinot Noirs from southern New Zealand, Tasmania, the coastal regions of the USA and South Africa.

Grape :

The grape structure varies from compact to loose, small to medium. The grapes are cylindrical, rarely shouldered. The berries are round to oval, dark blue, aromatic and have a thin skin. The flesh of the berries is juicy and discreetly fruity.

Wine :

The variety of aromas ranges from strawberry to cherry to ripe plum and blackcurrant, depending on the ripeness and style of vinification. This is often accompanied by nuances of rosemary and mint, but also almonds and mocha. Matured Pinot Noirs show a delicate, nutty bitterness. When the grapes have reached a balanced ripeness on the vine, which must not, however, turn into jammy overripeness, the wines present themselves with a cherry red color, ripe tannins, an elegant acidity after a moderate maturation of 9 to 15 months in small oak barrels.

Pinot Noir vine location :

The variety is very sensitive to soil characteristics and microclimates and is technically demanding in cultivation. The thin skin of the berries is associated with a susceptibility to fungal diseases such as (downy) mildew and botrytis. Pinot Noir is also sensitive to drought, so the soil must be sufficiently watered in the summer. Well-ventilated places with easily warmed-up soils are advantageous. The vine is medium to strong growing.

Preparation for Pinot Noir vine :

Put your vine in a bucket of water for 24 hours. This way it can suckle itself full again before planting out.

Ground preparation :

You can improve your soil with lava grit (if lime soil) or with bentonite and lava flour (if sandy soil).

Planting out a grapevine:

Make a hole with a diameter of 10 cm and +/- 30 cm deep with a ground drill or spade. And plant the vine with the graft just above the ground. The vine may come out of the ground between 5 and 10 cm. Plant your vines between May 1 and May 15 and leave 1 meter between the plants and 1.5 to 1.8 meters between the rows.

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