The grape responsible for red Burgundy, Pinot Noir, produces its best results in cool, often fog-prone regions. For years, Oregon’s climate seemed especially well suited for this variety. However, in the late 1980s, excellent Pinot Noirs also emerged in California. Appropriately nicknamed the ‘heartbreak grape’, no other varietal can claim to have simultaneously seduced as many people and provoked as much stress among growers and winemakers. The greatest wines made from the vine possess a complexity and beauty that trap consumers and winemakers alike in a lifelong search for its equivalent. Pinot Noir’s character can be hard to qualify. In favorable cool-climate regions, Pinot Noir's youthful character can suggest flavors ranging from red berry fruit to cherries. As Pinot Noir-based wines mature, they rapidly develop strong earthy dimensions, such as forest floor, mushroom, game and violets. Young or old, Pinot Noir’s greatest attribute is a harmonious, even sublime combination of fruit, alcohol, acidity and tannin. Description courtesy of Professional Friends of Wine)