Pinot Noir Historical Origins of Pinot
Did you know that Pinot Noir is one of the oldest cultivated wine grapes? Far older than Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir is well over 1,000 years old, and was thought to cultivated within ancient Roman culture as early as the first century.
Most plantings of Pinot Noir today can be traced back to French origins. In the Burgundy region of France, Pinot Noir gained mass popularity when the Catholic Church endorsed Pinot Noir as the wine of choice for sacraments. This favor largely instigated the early popularity and preservation of the Pinot Noir varietal, and by the sixth century, Burgundy was divided into all Church-owned vineyards. With the French Revolution, these vineyards were seized from the Church and redistributed to surviving families of the region, where Pinot Noir continued to be the most prized grape cultivated.
Today, close to 300,000 acres of Pinot Noir vineyards are planted worldwide. Originally imported to California in the mid-nineteenth century, over 39,000 acres within California are currently planted to Pinot Noir. With advanced in viticulture practices pushing the boundary of where Pinot Noir vines can grow and thrive, this acreage is constantly expanding. The history of Pinot Noir is ancient, but with the continuing prosperity and enthusiasm for this varietal, the story of Pinot Noir is truly just beginning – we could not be more proud to be part of history in the making as the chapter of Pinot Noir on the wild and previously untamed Sonoma Coast is written.