Poll - if you had to pick one, and only one grape

[David M. Bueker]

Hey, where's all the whites??
I'm not seeing any Caricante or marsanne or ...

They fall under the category of "other." Only 21 options in the poll system here.

Pinot Noir for me, but if I could vote for two grapes, Riesling would also get a vote.

Pinot is too easy! I took a divergent approach, was tempted by riesling but went with chenin blanc. Very good sparkling wines, outstanding dry, off dry and of course world class desert wines too. Does the lowly pinot give you all these choices - ha, I think not!!

...was tempted by riesling but went with chenin blanc. Very good sparkling wines, outstanding dry, off dry and of course world class desert wines too.

Yes. In the real world, I go back and forth between riesling and chenin blanc as my favorite white wines. The only reason riesling might win in terms of how much I buy is the broader range of high-quality regions and producers to explore. However, the one thing that tips the advantage to chenin blanc is the better sparkling wines. At least in my experience, although in both cases it is a fairly limited/niche category.

Pinot Noir. What everyone else said.

[David M. Bueker]

Pinot is too easy! I took a divergent approach, was tempted by riesling but went with chenin blanc. Very good sparkling wines, outstanding dry, off dry and of course world class desert wines too. Does the lowly pinot give you all these choices - ha, I think not!!

Good analysis. I like Chenin, in all its forms, but have never been smitten. Riesling holds that place, and if there were a range of world class sparkling Rieslings I would have gone that route.

Gamay for me as that is the grape I reach for most often. Roast chicken, pizza, burgers, steak salad and it is usually gamay for us. Chenin was a close second. If I had been thinking sparkling I would have gone with pinot. And as David said, I would also miss nebbiolo quite a bit.

[David M. Bueker]

Gamay is certainly a versatile food partner.

I took a look in Cellar Tracker, and checked on my 2015 consumption by variety, and you know what came in the top 5 that shocked me, Mourvedre.

I probably drink more Gamay or Riesling than any other grapes, but with question as framed I'll stick with PN.

Though don't forget Sekt!

Mark, I like good Carricante, but really......

David, as to Musigny, Kramer (Making Sense) and Coates both say Chard. Yet other sources say alternate name for the Gouges sport is Pinot Musigny (without saying what is in Musigny blanc). I'm confused!

[David M. Bueker]

Good Sekt is rare indeed.

[James Roscoe]

Throw the flag for piling on late.... Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir is my favorite grape variety, but also the grape variety that has disappointed me most often.

[David M. Bueker]

Pinot Noir is my favorite grape variety, but also the grape variety that has disappointed me most often.

Ah the heartbreak grape.

I have had fewer heartbreaks in recent years. Lots more really good Pinot Noir made these days.

Pinot Noir, with Nebbiolo a close second.

I wasn't going to take part because its not going to happen, the number of varieties and the complexities created by blending varieties is what makes wine so rewarding.

But, not to be churlish.

Can't vote for a white because I love red wines. You can make white and fizz from almost any black grape.

Don't want to drink Pinot Noir evryday, but if I did I might get to like it better.

Therefore it's got to be PInotage. I get withdrawal symptons if I leave it too long between bottles. Matches a wide range of foods, good with chilli rich and spiced meals of which I'm fond, ages beautifully. Also makes good white wine and good fizz.

So I voted other

The arguments for Pinot Noir are indeed compelling, but I just can't imagine life without Sangiovese.

[David M. Bueker]

Peter - bravo on picking Pinotage. I knew someone would go off the beaten path, and figured it would have to be you, Bob or Paul B if he's lurking about.

PN, of course, for the variety.

Can't decide on a second. Could be sangio or chenin or nebbiolo.

Mike, how about Baco Noir!!

I had to say Riesling, because I just can't imagine life without spicy food, and find an off dry Riesling to be the perfect pairing. It is what we drink the most, usually Trocken, Kabinett or Spatlese. Love the variety!

I Like Dick Bueker’s answer (Pinot), but technically one can argue that wasn’t an option in the poll. Pinot by it self could mean Pinot Noir and the hundred or so recognized clones (which most are only distinguished by a number) and let’s not forget the clones, which over the years became significant enough to warrant a name. (Just because a given clone becomes significant enough to warrant a name doesn’t necessarily make it a new variety grape vine. Yes, Pinot Blanc wine is very much different from Pinot Noir wine. But, I wonder, how many of us would be able to distinguish between a Pinot Noir wine made from Pinot Noir grapes (juice, pulp and skins) and a Pinot Noir wine made from Pinot Blanc grape juice and pulp / Pinot Noir grape skins).

Salute

Good point Victor

For some years when the talk turn to Pinot Noir I have quoted Anthony Hawkin who said on the lines of 'there is no such thing as Pinot Noir...' so now I've dug out his actual quote which is

there is no such thing as "the" Pinot (Noir). In fact accuracy demands that it be referred to as "a" Pinot (Noir) because the name does not belong to a unique vine species but to what the french grower calls a "cépage", that is, a growth defined as a group of closely related but not quite identical vine varieties sharing the same genetic background; in this case a variety that research is increasingly revealing to be derived from a very ancient strain of V.vinifera with a currently generic name of "Pinot". These different strains of the Pinot cépage are technically known as "clones", usually individually identified by adding a secondary name that refers to a special characteristic, place name or clone developer etc. For example; it has been estimated that worldwide there is a minimum of 200 Pinot (Noir) clone versions currently, (1996), planted - including approximately 47 versions planted in the vineyards of Burgundy and nearby districts in France - resulting in a great variation of wine quality and ageing ability etc.

Taken from his SUPER GIGANTIC Y2K WINEGRAPE GLOSSARY on this very site at http://www.wineloverspage.com/wlp_archi ... html#pnoir sadly not updated since 2007.

[Robin Garr]

Taken from his SUPER GIGANTIC Y2K WINEGRAPE GLOSSARY on this very site at http://www.wineloverspage.com/wlp_archi ... html#pnoir sadly not updated since 2007.

Anthony, sadly, seems to have disappeared from the Internet. I've been unable to reach him at any known contact since around that time. I hope he's alive and well, but I have no way to know. He was a nice guy, and a dogged worker at this labor of love.