Look! What's on Tap? BAREFOOT On Tap PINOT NOIR (Original Tasting Date: (Winter 2019)

No other grape elicits more opinion, passion, controversy, and wine snobbery than the revered Pinot Noir! Born in France’s Burgundy region centuries ago, the grape has found its way to America, New Zealand, Chile, Australia and beyond. In America, the chief Pinot Noir wine producers are, of course, California and Oregon; the grape is delicate and not easy to grow.

If you saw the 2004 movie, ​Sideways, ​you witnessed a great depiction of the passions that Pinot Noir wine can elicit. And you saw wine snobbery skewered and deflated in a deliciously hilarious way. We love that, for we are passionate proponents of such “skewerage” and deflation!

Wine is to be enjoyed, loved, celebrated, and shared. So, let’s get on with a celebration of this terrific grape and a particular expression of it in a Pinot Noir wine that we seriously love!

The Tasting

We served​ ​Barefoot On Tap Pinot Noir at a recent ​Sip & Stroll​ at our Gallery. It received rave reviews, so we decided a formal tasting and evaluation was in order. (If you are a frequent reader of our blogs, you know how “formal” our tastings are. We are into good wines, good food and great fun; not formality!) We decided to pair our Barefoot Pinot with yummy Chinese takeout chicken, rice, mushrooms, and spring rolls for this tasting.

The burgundy color was opaque at the core but moved to a translucent magenta when light hit the edges. Loads of sexy legs formed on the first swirl.

Cindy took her first sip and noted the traditional cherry notes about the time Kim said, “Dark berries! Juicy plum flavors began to emerge with a scintilla of vanilla.” Against those nice fruit front notes, a heady but delicate hint of mushrooms and forest floor presented a sensuous background. The texture and mouthfeel were creamy, sleek and silky. We both loved the smooth tannins and lingering finish. “It’s a winner,” we agreed, 4 out of 5 taps!

This is a nicely balanced wine that benefits from the rich panoply of Pinot Noir vine clones found only in California.

Final Thoughts

This is an extremely versatile wine that will pair well with most anything you cook up or carry out!

It is particularly spectacular with Asian food.

—Sam Russell