BURG ON A BUCK: THURSTQUEEN SHARES 4 WINE REGIONS THAT MAKE KILLER COOL CLIMATE PINOT NOIR FOR INDULGING YOUR INNER FRANCOPHILE

There’s nothing quite like a good bottle of Burgundy.

Bottles of Burg are cerebral wines that are super complex and have that whole “WOW” factor thing going for them.

Many moons ago, when I did that blog post about Pinot Noir, I devoted an entire section to throwing shade at the Master Somms for delivering full-blown poems about Burgundy during my CMS Level One exam. I did this mostly because they’re so fun to throw shade at, but I’ll give them one thing — their love for Burgundy makes sense.

Burgundy is a region in France that produces some of the BEST WINES IN THE WORLD. And that’s simply a fact. The problem is that like most great wine regions, Burgundy is expensive as all f**k - pardon my French.

So what’s a Thurstqueen to do? Where does a millennial find cool climate expressions of Pinot Noir without burning a hole in their wallet? Where does a millennial find a Pinot Noir with aromas of violets, the back of a saddle, truffles, and forest floor?

It certainly isn’t Santa Barbara, where a lot of these Pinot Noirs - though some are lovely - are higher in alcohol (like seriously some have similar percentages to Zinfandel) and fruity as all get out. As much as I’m a fan of Cherry Coke, I’m not super down for it when I sip a glass of Pinot Noir.

Fear not, Thurstqueen, for I have decided to dedicate this post to hi-lighting a couple regions throughout the globe that specialize in delicious (and affordable) expressions of Pinot Noir that are a nod to the great Pinot Noirs of Burgundy.

REGION ONE: GERMANY

Germany is the third largest Pinot producer in the world, behind the United States and France. So you would think by numbers alone, German Pinot Noir must be pretty solid. In Germany, Pinot Noir - they call it Spätburgunder here - is so popular, very few bottles are actually exported of the stuff.

Spätburgunder flourishes in Germany’s cooler climates, and if you’re looking for some great ones be sure to check out wines from the Ahr Valley and the Rheinhessen. The Rheinhessen is one of the most exciting regions in Germany, especially within the natural wine scene as a lot of the winemakers are really pushing the limits with what they can do in terms of organic and biodynamic viticulture.

The Ahr has some of the coolest climate in terms of Spätburgunder producing regions, and if you’re looking for something that’s quasi-Burgundian, with loads of minerality

REGION TWO:

ALTO ADIGE

If there’s one place in the entire country of Italy to grab a bottle of Pinot Noir, look no further than Alto Adige. This mountainous region that borders Switzerland and Austria is composed of striking, jagged, pinkish cliffs called the Dolomites. The Dolomites are the Italian alps, and their combination of limestone, calcium and magnesium carbonate refracts the light in a unique way, which gives them their rosy glow.

Alto Adige is considered an alpine region, like the Côtes du Jura or Switzerland. And another important part of Alto Adige to check out would be Süditrol, a subset within the region. In Süditrol, you’ll find Pinot Nero commonly referred to as Blauburgunder.

Pinot Nero from Alto Adige and Süditrol shares the common characteristic of being incredibly silky and refined. It’s like drinking cherry silk, and the red fruit aromas are very well pronounced in these wines. You can get some interesting balsamic qualities to these wines as well. They are incredibly light, and have a very high level of acidity, which makes them quite food friendly. Tannins in these Northern Italian Pinot Neros are very well integrated, and honestly not as noticeable as some of their New World - aka Cali - counterparts. If you’re looking to try some Pinot Nero from this region I’d recommend giving producers like Elena Walch and Abbazia di Novacella a try.

REGION THREE:

NEW YORK

At first glance, one wouldn’t exactly think of New York as a wine region, much less a place that cultivates Pinot Noir. But New York’s Finger Lakes region has some of the coolest climate on the continental US, making that area a great place for Pinot Noir. The Finger Lakes are eleven long lakes that are home to over 140 wineries, and the area is known for producing incredible laser sharp Riesling. In fact, I challenge you to go to this region and find a bad Riesling.

New York Pinot Noir has a lot of earthy and forest qualities, and tends to be on the lower end of the alcohol spectrum. The Cayuga and Seneca Lakes tend to be the more well known AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) of the region, so try to find some Pinot Noirs from there!

The soil within this region is a mixture of limestone, shale, gravel and silt from glaciers that moved in and retreated, leaving behind the eleven lakes. The lakes all moderate the temperatures of the vines, keeping the vines a bit warmer during the region’s harsh winters, and cooling them down in the Summer. If you’re into natural wine, check out the producer Eminence Road, as they do some great German-esque Pinot Noir.

REGION FOUR:

CHILE

If you’re into minimalism, you’ll be into Chilean Pinot Noir. Chilean Pinot Noir is incredibly light, and a lot more on the acidic end of the spectrum. I’d go so far as to say that out of all the regions on here the most Thurstqueen-iest (aka best value for your money) region would be Chile. You can find a lot of very solid Pinot Noirs from this region priced around $10, $15, and $20.00.

Areas like Casablanca, San Antonio, the Leyda Valley and Bío Bío are starting to make their mark as Pinot pushing regions. You’re most likely to see Pinot Noirs in the United States from the Casablanca Valley, as the grape thrives there. The Casablanca Valley takes advantage of the Humbolt Current, which starts in Antartica and moves all the way down the Pacific Coast of Chile.

I would check out the producer Viña Leyda - as it’s affordably priced at under $20 and is a solid value.

PICK OF THE WEEK: WITTMANN SPATBURGUNDER $29.99 @ THE WINE HOUSE

At $29.99, the Wittmann Spatburgunder is liquid proof why it makes absolutely no sense to spend $30+ on some kind of overpriced Santa Barbara Pinot Noir that tastes like flowers and cherry cola. This is definitely one of my opinions, but I’m not a fan of the warmer climate Pinot Noirs from Cali’s Central Coast. Sure there are some exceptions, but in general they’re all way too expensive and taste way too hot to me.

Weingut Witmann is from the cooler climate Rheinhessen region in Germany. The property has been run by the Witmann family for 15 generations. The estate has been biodynamic since 2004 and the wines have depth and precision.

For under $30 bucks with this German Pinot Noir, you get loads of minerality. Almost like a seashell core on the spine of this wine. There’s loads of cranberries and forest aromas. It’s super clean, and doesn’t quite have the barnyard and funk of a Burgundian Pinot, but that’s okay. It’s a sharp, clear and direct expression of cool climate Pinot Noir.

If you’re a fan of Sonoma Pinot Noir or French Burgundy, but don’t want to fork out the dough I suggest looking for a bottle of the Witmann Spatburgunder out in the wild. You’ll be very impressed.