Customer Reviews

North American Pinot Noir

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
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As a part-time wine instructor and wine enthusiast, I'm always looking for good resources to share as well as for my own use. This book is simply outstanding: the writing is clear, there is more information than you could ever possibly use, but you don't feel like you're drowning in irrelevant junk. Bravo!

This book gives a very good description of pinot in the USA. It cuts through all the stereotypes assoiciated with growing and making pinot noir, and gives warm-climate growers a second look.

Ever since the movie "Sideways," it's been easy to love pinot and to know why. Like the movie's characters, pinot noir (the grape) is unpredictable, occasionally brilliant, often bad and otherwise given to fits and starts of temperment and quirkiness. John Haeger's "North American Pinot Noir" is the backstory. From the grape's historic evolution (probably in Burgundy) to it's spread through North America's most marginal winelands, the pinot story on our continent is one of renegade artisinal winemakers living and dying with fickle vintages and improvised technology and, ultimately, winning the grudging respect of Burgundy's barons. This encyclopedic account starts with the plant, it's natural history (habits, pests, preferences and all) and progresses all the way through it's best products -- the wines themselves. The tasting notes are extensive and regrettably bounded in time, but they offer acclaim to some great vintages and some great vintners. As the book ages, the notes themselves will only serve to remind most of us of what we missed. But as a survey of pinot's great American terroirs and their beautiful fruits, the book confers rich knowlege and a deep sense of why this grape matters. The book is the University of Pinot Noir. For graduate school, find a place that you like -- Dundee HIlls or Santa Maria Bench -- and proceed to the advanced seminars they offer.

A very comprehensive look at American Pinot Noir. My wife and I enjoy exploring new wines and consider ourselves novices when it comes to the wine hobby. This book is very understandable and easy to read and reference. A solid gift idea or good to keep around for conversations at dinner parties.

Great stuff. Good information - BUT, what has been of the most use to me is the maps - I've used it in many presentations...tremendous information, looking forward to the new addition.

If you are interested in Pinor Noir and want to know more about its history, winemaking practices, or benchmark producers in North America, you need this book. Period. However, note that it is decidedly *not* a wine guide. It is about the varietal and its history, with selected (and now out of date) coverage of wines and producers.

The book starts with history of PN production in the US and covers winemaking practices in moderate depth. It then profiles a few dozen of the most important producers, describing their history, vineyards, winemaking protocols, and some tasting notes. This is extremely helpful for three audiences: (1) those interested in PN history; (2) those who want to learn about PN winemaking practices; (3) those who want to find the benchmark producers and have an introduction to their style. For instance, I found a small producer I had never heard of, ordered some of their wine, and have become a big fan. But note that the number of producers is small and far from exhaustive -- they are chosen for importance and representiveness -- and the book was published in 2004, meaning that most of the specific wines discussed are from the 1990s and very early 2000s.

How does this book (NAPN) compare to Haeger's later book, "Pacific Pinot Noir" (PPN)? There are three primary differences. First, PPN presupposes that you either know or are uninterested in much of the history and detail available here in NAPN. If you want to substantial detail about the history, the founding producers and their practices, or the winemaking protocols, then this book (NAPN) is the better choice. Second, PPN focuses exclusively on the Pacific region, so the (few) producers elsewhere such as NY State are excluded (but some are included here in NAPN). Third, PPN is somewhat newer and has many, many more producers, so it serves much better as a guide to the wines that are available.

In short, this book has a lot of detail about Pinot Noir, its history, and winemaking in North America. It is getting a bit old but most of the material is still relevant. However, it is neither exhaustive nor up to date, so it is of relatively little use as a wine guide (which is not its purpose). Still, for PN fans, it is an important and interesting read. Cheers!