Pinot Noir and its wines Where Grown Climate

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Pinot Noir and its wines

We associate Pinot Noir with a single region, Burgundy, but in fact it is grown extensively in many places in the world, and it is made into wines with styles ranging from classic, generous Grand Cru Burgundies through much lighter regional Burgundy wines to the fruity red wines of Switzerland, Alsace, Germany and Italy. Insufficient color is often a problem with Pinot Noir, but even where color is lacking it is valued for the production of white sparkling wines as in Champagne.

The fact that Pinot Noir wines can be produced with a range of styles offers reassurance to those who are experimenting with the variety. Regardless of where it is grown, only a small fraction of Pinot Noir wines achieve the ultimate in color, intensity of flavor and body which characterize the grand crus, but everywhere that sound grapes can be grown, Pinot Noir produces wines which are regional favorites.

Seasonal degree day accumulation and average low temperature of the coldest month for world grape production areas.
Location	Seasonal Degree Day Accumulation (50°F base)	Latitude		Mean Minimum Temperature of Coldest Month (°F)
Reims, France (Champagne)	49° 20'	1756	Penn Yan, NY	15
Zurich, Switzerland	47° 23'	1874	Glenham, NY	17
Würzburg, Germany	49° 48'	1908	Geneva, NY	17
Dijon, France (Burgundy)	47° 15'	2084	Fredonia	18
Genève, Switzerland	46° 12'	2090	Cutchogue, NY	22
Roseburg, OR	43° 20'	2115	Keckskemét, Hungary	23
Penn Yan, NY	42° 30	2390	Bolzano, Italy	24
Bordeaux, France	44° 50'	2464	Zurich, Switzerland	26
Geneva, NY	43°	2519	Würzburg, Germany	26
Fredonia	42° 30'	2531	Dijon, France (Burgundy)	29
Keckskemét, Hungary	46° 54'	2588	Genève, Switzerland	29
Cutchogue, NY	41°	2676	Reims, France (Champagne)	30
Canberra, Australia	36°	2714	Udine, Italy	31
Bolzano, Italy	46° 30	2985	Canberra, Australia	33
Glenham, NY	42°	2992	Bordeaux, France	35
Udine, Italy	46° 04	3168	Roseburg, OR	36
St. Helena, CA	38° 30	3302	St. Helena, CA	36
Fresno, CA	36° 40	4684	Fresno, CA	38

Where is Pinot Noir grown:

Pinot Noir is an early ripening grape. Where there is too much heat, the sun burns the fruit badly, acid concentration becomes insufficient, pH is too high and fruity aromas are lost. Pinot Noir is a variety for cool growing areas. The French emphasize that in comparison with the other "classic" varieties, Pinot Noir is adapted to cool, continental climates. The Bordeaux reds were selected for cooler maritime climates and other "classic" reds listed in Table 1, require much more seasonal heat accumulation than does Pinot Noir.

Table 2 lists data about regions where Pinot Noir is important. North American locations tend to be much more southerly than European ones and their continentality is indicated by the relative low expected winter temperatures. The data also show that, relative to Burgundy, New York locations have somewhat greater seasonal accumulation of heat and experience more winter cold.

Climates of Burgundy and New York (Finger Lakes)

Growing season data from a Finger Lakes (New York) site are compared to those of Burgundy (Dijon) in Figure 1. In France Burgundy is considered to have a continental climate. Continental climates have little water moderation. There tends to be greater differences among the seasons (hotter summers and cooler winters). The summer temperatures especially are important. Daytime maxima are higher and nighttime minima are lower for continental than for maritime climates.

(click here for full size copy)

The figure above shows that the Finger Lakes have even a more continental climate than does Burgundy. Several factors are important. In both places Pinot noir matures in very early October. At that time day time temperatures are high enough to ripen the fruit, but not so high that the fruit becomes baked (insufficient acidity and loss of aromas). The night temperatures are also favorably low. Low night temperatures favor the retion of acids and color. That is the good part, but note how quickly temperatures drop in the fall in New York relative to Burgundy. This means that there is less margin for error in New York; a cold fall will likely mean insufficient ripeness.

If the falls cool more quickly, the springs also warm more quickly. Arrows on figure 1 indicate approximate time of bud break. In both locations there is little danger of below freezing temperatures at that time, and the temperatures in June are favorable and encourage a reliable fruit-set.

Winter temperatures are another story. The data show that our winter cold hazard is much greater than that of Burgundy.

The precipitation data indicate rainfall should provide ample water in normal years at Geneva. Geneva tends to have slightly more rainfall than Burgundy during the early season and during the critical final ripening period in October. This indicates that we have to be even more concerned with preventing rain induced bunch rot than are the Burgundians.

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