A Letter to California Pinot Producers
Dear California Pinot Producers,
I was urged to write this by a sales rep that works in Southern California. It is in regards to your practice of blending Syrah with Pinot Noir.
I want to be clear that this is not an attack on any particular 'style' of Pinot Noir. I am simply asking that you stop blending other varietals with Pinot Noir and labeling it as varietal Pinot Noir.
I suspect that a vast majority of you engaged in this practice are in compliance with California labeling laws, that though week and insufficient, make doing so well within your rights. I am not objecting to you blending syrah, or any other varietal, with Pinot Noir for legal reasons. Neither am I 'crying foul' because we here in Oregon must live with much more stringent laws for labeling our beloved Pinot Noir. I am asking you to stop doing this to honor the nobility of the Pinot Noir grape.
Pinot Noir, as a wine, is most capable of reflecting a sense of its origins both in terms of where it is grown and how it is made. Its wines display levels grace, sophistication, finesse and elegance that simply cannot be achieved by other grapes. It is the inherent character of Pinot Noir that makes it one of the great grapes of the world. Like the breeding of fine horses, dogs or livestock; Pinot Noir too deserves to maintain a purity of its bloodline. The blending of of syrah, or other varietals, with Pinot Noir is to make it something other than Pinot Noir, to 'soil' its purity and nobility.
Now I do understand that most of the wines made this way are not; premium, single vineyard wines of distinction. I do understand that a majority of these wines are being sold at price points under $20, perhaps even lower, that are attractive to 'new' consumers of wine. It is for this reason that I am compelled to write this letter.
Many of these new consumers have, quite simply, not yet had the opportunity to experience great Pinot Noir. By offering them these misleading wines, you are biasing there attitudes, pallets, and opinions creating a standard that is not in the image of true Pinot Noir. These consumers then spend thier lives lost in a sea of wine never knowing, never understanding what an honest and beautiful wine Pinot Noir can be.
Your actions are effecting the countless producers of 100%, honest and true, Pinot Noir. Your 'rabbit in the hat trick' wines are creating an obstacle between producers of pure pinot noir and the consumers that deserve more honest wines. You are creating false and confusing expectations in consumers. This will only serve to make wine more intimidating and alienate would be customers.
Please, stop tainting Pinot Noir with other varietals. It isn't good for our industry. It isn't good for consumers. Most of all it just isn't good for the future of Pinot Noir.
Jerry D. Murray
[Your Name Here]
6 Comments
Reader Comments (6)
Hi Jerry,
I'm very much in agreement with you.
Many wine neophytes respond more to the 'bolder' styles of "Hermiatged" Pinot noir over the pure thing. I often hear that pinot is "watered down" tasting or "thin".
I think you should tap your passion for and experience with the grape to direct the same argument to the budding wine lovers who buy these boosted Pinots because they are more impactfull and bolder.
Arthur,
This is exactly my point. It gives consumers a false impression of what a particular varietals character really is. It missleads the public and creates standards that cannot be met. I hope I was clear that I was not drawing a line in the 'style' sand. It is one thing to make 100% varietal Pinot Noir in a big and bold fashion but something entirely different to adulterate Pinot Noir with Syrah and label it as Pinot Noir. I don't have a problem with New World wineries taking creative liberties and blending grapes that have no historical precedent for being blended together. I just do not beleive that these wines should be labeled as a single varietal wines.
i don't really buy the stuff about the purity of the bloodline because some of the best wines i've ever tasted were blends. i agree that labels should be more accurate but i wonder what conclusions new wine consumers would reach after drinking an under-$20 bottle of 100% pinot noir (as long as that market exists, someone will find a way to exploit it). i'm not sure that your plan would provide these buyers with any more honesty or beauty...
Steve,
Pinot Noir blends? I certainly do agree that blending has its place, more so for some grapes than for others, but lets let the label reflect that. I do understand that under $20 pinots are a mine field in terms of quality but blending in 25% of something else into pinot noir makes it something other than pinot noir. Let's face it, consumers interested in wine under $20 will buy whatever wine is good for the price, those wines should be labeled honestly and in my opinion 25% is too much of something else in pinot noir. My problem isn't with blending it is with labeling and a wine inaccurately defined as pinot noir, that has a considerable amount of Syrah or other varietals blened in isn't doing anyone any good. It creates a dissociation between what is percieved as pinot noir, largely by neophyte drinker, and what pinot noir really is. How can that be good for consumers? Give them low end blends but for pinot's sake call it what it is!
Nice blog, Jerry. Credit to Arthur P. for recommending.
I'm afraid your appeal for fellow (or at least Californian) vintners to "honor" the Pinot grape are not going to work.
I have two basic questions: Are wineries that blend other grapes wit Pinot Noir required to say so in any context whatsoever? Is your knowledge of such blending anecdotal?
In a related thought, is there any pattern to the highest-scoring California Pinots being blends?
Tish,
In terms of wineries blending and declaring such matters on the label, it depends on the State. In Oregon I believe we have 10% to play with, CA I think has 25%, that can be a varietal other than the one declared.
If by anecdotal, do I have knowledge of the exact formula of many wines being bottled in CA? The answer is NO. I do know, through the grapevine, that it does happen.
It is my understanding that most of this type of blending is being done in 'low end' wines, which is what I think is most dangerous about the practice ( or at least not disclosing the practice ). It creates, in novice tasters, an expectation that is not compatible with pinot noir.
As far as the highest-scoring, thus, high end Pinots from CA, utilizing the practice; I don't feel as concerned. I may be the fool here, but I don't want to believe such producers are doing this or that wine critics would let it slide.
I am trying to be careful not to turn the attack on 'bumping up' Pinot with other varietals, into an attack wine Style. I do have opinions about how Pinot should be made, as any winemaker would, I just don't see the point in standing on a soap box and saying I'm right and they are wrong. Blending, and not disclosing it on the label, is something I see the point in taking a turn on the soap box for. Thanx for your comments.