South American Wine Guide, Independent Guide to the Best Wines in South America for Visitors to Peru

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South American Wines

An Introduction to the Wines of South America for Visitors to Peru

Red Wine Varieties: PINOT NOIR

Other Red Wine Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon / Malbec / Merlot / Carmenere / Syrah / Pinot Noir / Cabernet Franc / Bonarda / Tempranillo / Sangiovese / Tannat

PINOT NOIR
Pinot Noir, the great grape of Burgundy, is a touchy variety. The best examples offer the classic black cherry, spice, raspberry and currant flavors, and an aroma that can resemble wilted roses, along with earth, tar, herb and cola notes. It can also be rather ordinary, light, simple, herbal, vegetal and occasionally weedy. In fact, Pinot Noir is the most fickle of all grapes to grow: It reacts strongly to environmental changes such as heat and cold spells, and is notoriously fussy to work with once picked, since its thin skins are easily bruised and broken, setting the juice free. Even after fermentation, Pinot Noir can hide its weaknesses and strengths, making it a most difficult wine to evaluate out of barrel. In the bottle, too, it is often a chameleon, showing poorly one day, brilliantly the next.

Wine characteristics
General Light tannins
Cool climate Cabbage, wet leaves
Medium climate Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, mushroom, meaty

Pinot Noir: These grapes are softer and earlier ripening than Cabernet grapes, and are very sensitive to conditions. Used often in red wines, they are also used (without skins) as a white ingredient in Champagne. Pinot Noir wine is made in Burgundy, and also Australia, California, Oregon, Italy and Germany.

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South American Wines - An Independent Guide to the some of the Best Wines from Peru, Argentina & Chile.