The specific origins
of the name are unclear, but it is known that Pinot Noir
appeared in the Cote d’Or prior to the 14th century,
possibly as early as the 5th century B.C.
By Rusty Gaffney MD, the "Prince of Pinot"
I
was shopping at the mall the other day and walked by Santa
Claus. When I was a kid, I was scared to death of Santa and
never would go up and sit on his lap, much to my mother’s
chagrin. I always felt I missed something in life. I thought
it was time to meet the jolly old fellow and I got in line.
Soon enough, I was sitting on his lap and beaming to the
crowd in front of me. I then asked him, “What is the
true meaning of Pinot Noir?” This is what he told me.
The specific origins of the name are unclear, but it is
known that Pinot Noir appeared in the Cote d’Or prior
to the 14th century, possibly as early as the 5th century
B.C. It was initially called noirien long before the word
pinot appeared. Pinot first appeared in the last part of
the 14th century in papers of the dukes of Burgundy: a document
of Philip the Bold ordered a shipment to Flanders of “vermilion
pinot wine” in 1375. Pinot was initially often spelled
pynos or pineau.
At the end of the last century, pinot was
made official to avoid the Burgundian peasant pronounciation
of pineau as “peen-yo” or “peen-yew.” The
grape has had many names in the Cote d’Or, including
franc norien, frank pineau, plant a bon vin, plant fin, plant
noble, franc bourgignon, frank pinot, petit pinot, and morillon.
Today, the word pineau designates the chenin blanc grape
of the Loire Valley. No other grape varietal has a name that
has been in use for more than six centuries.
Pinot is thought to be so-named because its grape cluster
resembles a pinecone in shape. In reality, this feature is
not readily observable as a distinguishing characteristic.
The word noir comes from the fact that the grape’s
skin is a dark blue so deep it is called black. In actuality,
the skins of Pinot Noir contain considerably less pigment
than other varietals such as Cabernet and Syrah.
If after reading this article you wish to obtain Continuing
Education credits in Pinot Noir, please write Santa Claus
at the North Pole.
The PinotFile is
the first wine newsletter exclusively devoted to Pinot
Noir. The PinotFile features winery and winemaker profiles,
Pinot Noir releases and reviews, and insider's information
for acquiring boutique Pinot Noirs. The creator, editor,
and publisher is Rusty Gaffney, MD (aka "The Prince
of Pinot"). The current and all past issues are
available on the website at princeofpinot.com.
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readers may develop a hopeless passion for Pinot Noir.
I
was shopping at the mall the other day and walked by Santa
Claus. When I was a kid, I was scared to death of Santa and
never would go up and sit on his lap, much to my mother’s
chagrin. I always felt I missed something in life. I thought
it was time to meet the jolly old fellow and I got in line.
Soon enough, I was sitting on his lap and beaming to the
crowd in front of me. I then asked him, “What is the
true meaning of Pinot Noir?” This is what he told me.
