Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Velvet Revolver cocktail inspired by National Pinot Noir Day.
Origin of National Pinot Noir Day
Like many internet “holidays” today, there’s no defined person or group that officially began National Pinot Noir Day, though it began to catch on in the early-to-mid 2000s. That’s also when the movie Sideways came out, in 2004. However, the holiday is celebrated annually on August 18, while the movie Sideways wasn’t released until October of that year, so it’s unlikely the movie was the spur for the holiday. Still, the Alexander Payne movie, which starred Paul Giamatti, Virginia Madsen, Thomas Haden Church, & Sandra Oh, lifted up Pinot Noir as a better wine, while denouncing other kinds of wines like Merlot, and is often attributed with opening up wine culture to more Americans in the mid 2000s.
History of Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir wine gets its name from the grape species from which it’s made, & is derived from the French words meaning ‘pine’ and ‘black.’ Records of Pinot Noir grapes, and their consumption as wine have been found in the region of Burgundy, France as far back as the First Century CE. Today, while the grape species can be found all over the world, its roots in French history are an important part of the history of Europe and the culture of wine.
When invading Romans arrived in Gaul they were impressed by the rich quality, texture, and unique flavors made from the wine that tasted of ripe red fruit, cherries, toast, and spices. The Pinot Noir grape, native to the Burgundy region of France, became a coveted item to the Romans for more than 300 years for just that reason. When the Romans established vineyards and began to farm the grape commercially, Pinot Noir wine quickly became the wine of choice among the nobility, and was soon the grape of choice grown by the Catholic Church.
The favored grape species and wine, Pinot Noir, became a mainstay wine for the Catholic Church for centuries to come. Pinot Noir vineyards owned by the Catholic Church remained under the control of the Catholic Church, in France, until the French Revolution in 1789, which brought an end to the aristocratic-only access to the wine. Since then, the grape has been exported far and wide, however, it is an extremely difficult grape to cultivate successfully. Climate & weather conditions have to be perfect, and while there is a population of Pinot Noir grapes grown on every continent in the world, the French variant seems to attract the most prestige and admiration, though since the early 2000s, California-grown Pinot has also gained great favor.
National Pinot Noir Day Hero
André Tchelistcheff
Known as the ‘Dean of American Winemaking,’ André Tchelistcheff (1901–1994) was a Russian-born oenologist (an expert in the study of wine & winemaking) who profoundly influenced California’s wine industry. His expertise in viticulture and winemaking techniques, particularly with varietals like Pinot Noir, helped establish California as a premier wine region and brought a new level of sophistication to American wines.
National Pinot Noir Day FAQs
How popular is Pinot Noir?
Pinot Noir consistently ranks among the top ten most popular red wines globally, celebrated for its versatility and food-friendliness. Its delicate flavor profile appeals to a broad range of palates.
Where is Pinot Noir primarily grown?
Pinot Noir’s ancestral home is Burgundy, France, where it produces some of the world’s most expensive wines. However, it thrives in cooler climates globally, including Oregon, California (Sonoma Coast), New Zealand, and Germany.
What makes Pinot Noir unique among red wines?
Pinot Noir is unique due to its thin skin, which contributes to its lighter color, lower tannin, and delicate, nuanced flavors of red fruit, earth, and spice. It’s often described as the ‘heartbreak grape’ because it’s notoriously difficult to grow.
National Pinot Noir Day Activities
Have a glass of Pinot Noir
Pour yourself a healthy glass, this is the way to start. Sit back, savor and relax.
Host a wine tasting
A great way to have friends over, we suggest that each person brings a different bottle of their favorite wine, and that way, you can “taste” all night long. Pinot Noir pairs well with grilled salmon or tuna.
Give a bottle as a gift
Remind someone special that they are important to you. Let them celebrate today however they choose to, but make sure you buy a great bottle of Pinot Noir for them.
Five Things About Pinot Noir That You Might Not Know
There are many variants
Today, over 40 variants of Pinot Noir exist, globally.
One Pope wouldn’t return home to Italy without it
Pope Urban V refused to return to Rome in the Middle Ages, where you just couldn’t get the wine of the same quality as that found in Burgundy.
It can’t take the heat
Pinot Noir grows comfortably in cooler climates — the grape is “overcooked” when its thin skin is exposed to too much heat and sun.
France grows the most
Throughout the entire world, France has the most hectares of Pinot Noir Vineyards — 29,738 hectares.
It’s known as the “heartbreak grape”
Yes, it has been popularly referred to as such, but not for the reason that you may think. Sure many people have turned to a good pinot during a breakup, but it’s actually because of how difficult it is to harvest a successful crop, leaving many vintners heartbroken because of a failed yield.
Reasons To Love National Pinot Noir Day
It’s a great reason to absorb antioxidants
Antioxidants are great for you, and Pinot Noir is jam-packed with them. A single glass has been proven to provide you with a much-needed supply of antioxidants.
It’s a chance to bring history & culture into people’s lives
Wine culture, like poetry, often seems strange and peculiar when looked at by outsiders. Today gives everyone a chance to enjoy a good bottle of wine, regardless of how astute they may be in the world of fine wine, as Pinot Noir is one of the most accessible wines. And as famed poet Robert Louis Stevenson wrote in his 1883 book The Silverado Squatters, which details his honeymoon experience in California’s Napa Valley, “Wine is bottled poetry.”
Pinot Noir can also be part of a great cocktail
As Pinot Noir is accessible, as a wine, it mixes well with other types of spirits, like in today’s Drink Of The Day, a Velvet Revolver cocktail.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
