A story led by Professor Octavius Pinot, with commentary from Koos Grenache & Isabella Rioja

There are few grapes that inspire such devotion, despair, poetry, bankruptcy, ecstasy, and lifelong obsession as Pinot Noir. For centuries, it has been whispered about like a rare treasure—temperamental, thin-skinned, prone to melodrama, yet capable of producing some of the most hauntingly beautiful wines known to humankind.

If Cabernet Sauvignon is the bold orator of the wine world, Pinot Noir is the quiet genius who speaks softly but says everything.
And like all geniuses, it’s complicated.

A Grape Older Than France Itself

Octavius

Pinot Noir is ancient—truly ancient. While we don’t have selfies of Roman vineyard workers, we do know that Pinot Noir has been grown in what is now France for over 2,000 years, long before the French spoke French.

Its homeland? Burgundy, the spiritual centre of Pinot Noir and the stage upon which its most profound stories have been acted.

This is where monks mapped vineyards with monastic precision, where inheritance laws carved properties into tiny slivers, and where entire families still work rows no wider than a driveway, producing bottles that command prices usually reserved for jewellery or sports cars. The current vintage will set you back US$ 21000 per bottle.

Burgundy: The Motherland of Pinot Noir

Burgundy isn’t a region you simply “understand.” You study it. You walk it. You surrender to it.

Let me paint the picture.

The Patchwork of Tiny Vineyards

After the French Revolution, property was divided equally among heirs.
Then their children.
Then their children again.

The result?

• Vineyards splintered into microscopic parcels
• Some growers farm only a few rows
• A single famous site might have 20–40 different owners
• Each produces their own wine

This is why Burgundy bottles never say “Pinot Noir.”
They say:

• The grower
• The village
• The specific vineyard (if prestigious enough)

The grape is assumed. Burgundy is Pinot.

Clos de Vougeot & the Chevaliers du Tastevin

One of Burgundy’s grandest (and sometimes most chaotic) vineyards is Clos de Vougeot a vast walled clos with dozens of growers. It is also home to the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, a centuries-old wine brotherhood famous for its rituals, dinners, and unabashed celebration of Burgundy.

I must admit, wearing the ceremonial sash does spark a certain… professorly pride.

Hospices de Beaune

Then there is the annual Hospices de Beaune auction, where barrels of Burgundy are sold for eye-watering prices—part charity fundraiser, part theatre, part economic weather vane for the global wine market.

The event captures everything Pinot Noir stands for:

• Craft
• Heritage
• Scarcity
• Drama

The hammer falls, and another chapter is written.

How Burgundy Pinot Noir Is Made

Pinot Noir is thin-skinned and fragile. It bruises, sulks, oxidises, and throws tantrums. Burgundy winemakers therefore practice gentle, careful techniques:

• Hand-harvesting
• Whole-berry or partial whole-bunch fermentation
• Subtle oak, French off course
• Long, slow élevage
• Fermentation that whispers rather than shouts

The goal is always the same:
to reveal the place, not the winemaker.

Burgundy doesn’t make Pinot Noir. Burgundy reveals terroir through Pinot Noir.

The International Pinot Tour

Isabella

“Octavius, mi professor, you make Burgundy sound like a fragile cathedral. But Pinot Noir has packed its bags and travelled far beyond those monks.”

And she’s right.

New Zealand

Pinot found a soulmate in Aotearoa.

• Central Otago: pure fruit, cherry, spice, dramatic landscapes
• Martinborough: savoury, structured, Burgundian in spirit
• Marlborough: lighter, fragrant, graceful

New Zealand Pinot has energy, poise, and a kind of wild beauty.

United States

• Oregon (Willamette Valley): foggy, foresty, Burgundy-inspired
• California (Sonoma Coast, Santa Barbara County): richer, silkier, sun-kissed
• Washington State: a rising star with structured, elegant examples

Spain

Yes, even Spain plays with Pinot—cooler regions like Navarra or Castilla y León experiment with it, though cautiously.

“Pinot Noir,” Isabella says, “is like a musician. Give it the right stage and it sings.”

South Africa — A Modern Pinot Chapter

Octavius

Back to me—Octavius—because the South African Pinot story is one of vision, stubbornness, and a little madness.

Hamilton Russell Vineyards

In the late 1970’s, Tim Hamilton Russell identified the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley as a cool-climate gem—long before it became famous. Many thought planting Pinot there was insanity.

Instead, it became history.

He proved that:

• Pinot Noir could thrive in South Africa
• Terroir mattered more than trend
• Cooler sites near the Atlantic Ocean were essential

Why Terroir Is Everything for Pinot

Pinot loves:

• Cool but not cold climates
• Long, slow ripening
• Clay-rich or limestone-derived soils
• Mist, fog, wind, and dramatic temperature shifts

What it does not love:

• Heat
• Drought
• Bush-vine toughness
• Harsh sunlight

Koos Grenache — Swartland Comment of the Day

“Ag nee man, Pinot in the Swartland?
That thing will be raisins by breakfast and brandy by lunchtime.”

And he’s not wrong.

Pinot Noir is not:

• a Swartland grape
• a warm-climate grape
• a ‘just plant it anywhere’ grape

It’s picky, demanding, and deeply moody.

But give it the right place… and the magic happens.

South Africa’s Pinot Heartlands

Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

Where it all began; world-class Pinot with coastal energy.

Elgin

Cool, misty apple orchards make ideal Pinot territory.

Walker Bay & Stanford

Ocean influence brings perfume and finesse.

Ceres Plateau

High-altitude freshness and bright red fruit.

Stellenbosch (Selective Sites)

Most areas are too warm, but pockets influenced by ocean breezes—like Meerlust—have successfully produced Pinot with character and restraint.

Why Pinot Noir Is So Difficult to Grow

Because it asks for everything:

• Cool climate
• Perfect soils
• Gentle winemaking
• Sensitive handling
• Patience
• Luck
• A sense of humour

Winemakers often call it the heartbreak grape.
But when it succeeds, it produces wines that stop conversations.
Sometimes even careers.

In the End — Pinot Noir Is a Story, Not Just a Grape

Pinot Noir is history, family, inheritance, monks, terroir, heartbreak, and triumph all in one.

It is:

• Burgundy’s soul
• South Africa’s cool-climate challenger
• New Zealand’s quiet revelation
• California’s velvet expression
• Oregon’s philosophical masterpiece

And yet it remains one of the most demanding grapes in the world.

As I, Octavius, like to say:

“Pinot Noir does not reward laziness.
But it rewards devotion more than any other grape.”

Koos raises a glass. Isabella smiles.
And somewhere, a monk in Burgundy nods in approval

A Final Word — How to Taste Pinot Noir (and Why People Either Adore It or Can’t Stand It)

Octavius

Before we close the book—well, the chapter—on Pinot Noir, we must talk about what it’s actually like in the glass. Pinot is a grape that reveals as much about the drinker as it does about the vineyard, and if you’ve spent any time pouring it for people, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Colour That Deceives

Pinot Noir rarely looks powerful. It sits in the glass with:

• translucent ruby hues
• garnet edges
• a soft glow you can practically read a newspaper through

And yet—it is not a light wine.

Its intensity doesn’t shout through density; it murmurs through depth. The flavours are layered, subtle, unfolding like chapters rather than explosions. That transparency is the hallmark of the grape: it shows everything, hides nothing. Cabernet can wear armour; Pinot is silk.

Flavours That Divide the Room

Ah yes—the famous love-it-or-hate-it personality.

Pinot can carry:

• sour cherry
• wild strawberry
• cranberry
• dried rose petal
• mushroom
• forest floor
• spice
• autumn leaves

And yes, that sour cherry thread can be the dealbreaker. Some consumers find it thrilling and refreshing. Others recoil as if it’s a personal insult.

Pinot Noir is polarising because it refuses to be straightforward. It asks you to lean in, to pay attention. Many people want a wine to introduce itself loudly and confidently. Pinot Noir whispers its name.

Food Pairing — The Quiet Superpower

Despite its pale colour, Pinot Noir is incredibly adaptable with food. It’s the wine world’s version of that person who looks slender but somehow ends up helping you move a piano.

Pinot pairs beautifully with:

• duck
• mushroom risotto
• salmon and trout
• pork belly
• roast chicken
• earthy vegetarian dishes
• charcuterie
• soft cheeses

Why?
Because Pinot has:

• enough acidity to cut through richness
• enough structure to handle meat
• enough restraint not to bulldoze delicate flavours

It’s elegant, but it’s not fragile.
It’s gentle, but not weak.
And it whispers, but never fades.

The Cult of the Pinotphile

And then there are the Pinotphiles—the die-hard, passionate loyalists who speak about Pinot as if it were a spiritual calling. They swirl, they sniff, they murmur about “terroir” and “breath” and “texture.” They will tell you Pinot Noir is the only grape that truly expresses place.

Some find them pretentious.
Others find them charming.
Either way, they’re devoted.

There is a reason for this devotion:

“No other grape offers such a combination of fragrance, delicacy, complexity, and emotional resonance.”

Pinotphiles don’t just drink Pinot Noir.
They study it, chase it, collect it, argue about it, and occasionally—yes—elevate themselves above the rest of the wine-loving population.

Whether that’s deserved or delusional depends entirely on the company and the bottle in question.

But one thing is certain:

Every wine region has fans.
Burgundy has believers.
And Pinot Noir has disciples.

And Finally — The Temperature Truth

One last thing, and it’s an important one: Pinot Noir hates being served warm. Truly hates it. Warm Pinot becomes flabby, soupy, loose around the edges — all elegance evaporates, all perfume vanishes.

Unlike Cabernet, which can tolerate a bit of warmth, Pinot shows every degree of temperature like a mood ring.

For most drinkers without a dedicated wine fridge or cellar, the best advice is wonderfully simple:

Give Pinot Noir 20–30 minutes in the fridge before serving.

You want it cool, not cold — around 13–15°C.
At this temperature the acidity sparkles, the fruit lifts, the perfume blooms, and all those delicate layers unfold with grace. Too warm and it gets messy; too cold and it goes mute.

Serve it slightly chilled and Pinot Noir becomes exactly what it should be:
ethereal, expressive, and beautifully alive.