Warm and Cold Climate Wines

Ever wonder why you love, say, one pinot noir but find another unremarkable?  The climate where the grapes are grown could be the reason and might help you narrow your search for that "perfect" bottle.  Warm weather regions like California, South Africa and Southern France have longer growing seasons unlike cold weather regions like Germany, Oregon and Finger Lakes, NY. As a result, wines from warmer areas are able to ripen more fully than cooler areas. Typically, with warm weather regions you will get wines with higher alcohol, more body and more fruit flavors like plums, blackberry jam and licorice. The cooler regions produce less alcohol, a lighter style and delicate flavors like raspberry, strawberry and green apple. This a very broad subject and there are, of course, many more factors at play, but I hope this helps when you're thinking about trying a new wine.  For example, a California Pinot Noir can be described as dark and rich, showing toasty mocha oak flavors, with a beam of wild berry, vanilla and spice. The same wine from Oregon is light in color and texture, displays pretty watermelon and cherry flavors, and hints at mint in its finish. Same grape but very different tastes based in part on warm versus cold climate. I won't overwhelm you -- just giving you another reason to sit back, relax and savor a glass of wine.