North American Pinot Noir (Hardcover)

by John Winthrop Haeger (Author) "The names of wine grape varieties, from albarino to zinfandel, have become the bedrock vocabulary of wine talk worldwide..." (more)
Key Phrases: north american pinots, pinot vineyards, percent new barrels, New York, Bien Nacido, Santa Maria Valley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Pinot noir is the moodiest of grapes: at its best, it can be velvety and complex, a good pairing for both seafood and red meat; but its temper can change quickly, as the wine is fragile and unstable. As Haeger explains in this comprehensive guide to the wine, "pinot can show beautifully from barrel and then suffer an acute case of bottle shock. It can taste ethereal one day, but then close down to a shadow of its former self." No wonder, then, that it’s taken American producers so long to master pinot’s personality and develop wines that rival France’s burgundies. But they have. Though Haeger’s discussion of terroirs and his instructive essays ("The Rise of Pinot Noir in North America," "Winegrowing and Winemaking," etc.) may appeal only to serious oenophiles, the good news he shares is for everyone: "the food-friendliest wine on earth" now has scores of excellent American producers. Heager profiles 72 of them in this volume, many of them smaller vineyards that casual wine drinkers may not yet have heard of. Thus Heager succeeds in giving wine lovers a deeper and broader appreciation of the grape than any top-ten, five-star list could deliver.
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Review
"An impressive work, scholarly and masterful. Haeger's book paints a thorough portrait of pinot noir in America today - what's happening, where, and with whom. Wine lovers will gain a broader understanding and appreciation of pinot noir wines; aficionados of pinot noir will find the book a bible to feed their passion." - Mary Ewing-Mulligan, MW, coauthor of Wine for Dummies and President of the International Wine Center; "Haeger combines the skills of a reporter with those of a poet in this definitive study of one of the world's great wine grapes as it is grown and vinified in North America - combining solid research and illuminating interviews with vivid descriptions of that most important thing: what the wine actually tastes and smells like." - Colman Andrews, Editor in Chief, Saveur; "John Haeger has written an engaging, thought-provoking book that every pinot noir lover will find fascinating." - Karen MacNell, author of The Wine Bible "Finally, a book to demystify pinot and explain how American craftsman winemakers turn out wines made from Burgundy's legendary grape. Pinot noir pairs exceptionally well with a wide variety of foods, making it one of my personal favorites - and the ideal choice when dining out." - Bradley Ogden, author, chef, and co-owner, Lark Creek Restaurant Group"

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 455 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (September 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520241142
• ISBN-13: 978-0520241145
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.1 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #409,792 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, July 22, 2006

By	William L. Wilson (Granger, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Straight forward without the BS , January 9, 2005

By	Jacob Fetzer (Redwood Valley, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ever Since Sideways, January 9, 2007

By	Robert Steelquist - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.