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
C.
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.