Pinot Nero

Pinot Nero originates from France and is named after the conical shape of the cluster of grapes, which recalls the shape of a pine cone (Pinot), in effect, it is a variety of grape clusters which resemble a pine cone.

It is very widespread in France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Austria (under the name “Blauburgunder”), as well as in America (Oregon and California), and in a lesser scale in South Africa, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand.

It is the most used black grape for the production of sparkling wines and champagne.

It belongs to a family of vine which has more than 1,000 varieties, among the most famous are Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio.

The Pinot Nero is the perfect example of a “fruity” aroma of red wine: raspberries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries and currants berries, are perceptible even to the less trained nose.

In Italy, the higher quality areas are Franciacorta, Oltrepò Pavese, Friuli, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and, to a lesser extent, Tuscany.

When vinified in red, the Pinot Nero produces wines which are not rich in color, transparent, slightly tannic, with strong acidity, characterized by fruity undertones (cassis, BlackBerry, raspberry, cherry, strawberry) and floral (rose, violet) when young, and more fine and complex notes with aging (leather, underbrush, tobacco, spices).

The Pinot Nero is a very difficult grape to cultivate. The yield is generally low and is quite sensitive to diseases of the vine. Which is why the cultivation of this varietal (as well as the winemaking) is a difficult process, best left for agronomists and oenologists.

The Pinot Nero is a wine that can be paired with a variety of culinary dishes, from fish (with the young vintages) to more complex and rich-flavored dishes, like roasted duck.