Imbottigliato all’Origine

March 30, 2020

Bottled at the source; the term may be used only by estates that produce and bottle the wine on the property where the grapes were grown.

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.

“Saying you had a bad vintage of Napa Valley wine is like saying you had a bad truffle.”

—Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Get WineSpeed

Join tens of thousands of other wine lovers. Get each week’s edition of WineSpeed delivered to your inbox every Friday. It’s fast. It’s free. It’s the smartest way to stay up to speed on wine.