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Sales value (in millions of US$) of Albariños from Rías Baixas in the US last year—a nearly 14% increase over the year before. One of Spain’s best known white wines, Albariño, has lots going for it—it’s fresh, lively, delicious, artisanally-made and inexpensive. There are now more than 179 wineries that make Albariño in the small coastal region of Rías Baixas (REE-ess BUY-shez).

What is the name pinot noir a reference to?

A. The blackness (noir) of the soil in which pinot noir grapes grow best

B. The tiny pea-like grapes

C. The pine-cone shape of pinot noir clusters

D. The fact that pinot noir grows best in cold climates, where the sky is often dark rather than sunny

The highly regarded French grape pinot noir (black pinot) takes its name from the French word pin or pine, a reference to the fact that the small clusters of pinot noir grapes are shaped like pine cones.

“I liken making pinot noir to waking up a woman at three in the morning. You never quite know what you’re going to get.”

—Luke Smith
Owner and winemaker, Howling Bluff Winery, British Columbia

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