Pinot? Nah

摘要

Think of wine from the United States and you naturally think of California. Hardly surprising given that nine out of ten bottles of wine that originate in the US are made from grapes grown in California. It is, as they'd say in the US, the 900-pound gorilla of the American wine industry. And where does the 900-pound gorilla sit? Well, anywhere it damn well wants to. Unless, of course, you're talking about pinot noir. In this case King Kong is being forced to take a back seat to Oregon, its northern neighbour, where the days are not so searing and the nights are considerably cooler - conditions more to the liking of this prima donna of the grape world. On a recent visit to the US I took the opportunity to try a few of these Oregon wines alongside some New Zealand pinots and what I found gave me food for thought. Thus, travel broadens the mind.