California Pinot Noir

For many years, people didn't think you could make great Pinot Noir in California. Have those people ever been proven wrong!

The biggest thing people had to get over was thinking that all Pinot Noir had to taste like Burgundy. It turns out that you can have absolutely delicious Pinot Noir that tastes nothing like Burgundy, and that there are some great places for growing Pinot Noir in California.

You have to look for the coolest climates - the Sonoma Coast, Carneros (just off San Pablo Bay), the Russian River Valley and the hills above Santa Barbara are the types of places creating great Pinot Noir. These areas allow Pinot Noir have enough hang time (not ripening too quickly) to develop great flavors. 

Look at Iron Horse, in the Green Valley, or Handley, in the Anderson Valley, for the kind of elegance Pinot Noir is capable of. Look to Saintsbury for a Pinot with the earthy, mushroomy flavors that make Pinot Noir such a versatile food wine. And Flowers will show you all the power and concentration that California winemakers can get from this most finicky grape.