I am the first to want to believe that everything in wine is hype; This grape, this growing practice, this score, it is all hype. Who really cares when you are drinking the actual wine? And I am the first to say that I am sick of the whole Pinot Noir mystique. Why does it have to be this particular grape, this really expensive and so hard to grow, inconsistent supply, grape that everyone has to fall in love with?

I am the first to call bunk on all of that except that tonight I had one of those perfect wine drinking nights. You know what I mean; the talking to friends a little bit too late a little too much food and wine kind of night. The nights that make us realize that this is why we live this life, why we work so hard. Towards the end of the night I opened a bottle of the 2004 Alloro Pinot Noir and there was a show stopping quality about that wine. This was not an easy drinking chilled red, or a talk all night long white bordeaux; this was pay attention to the fact that you are having a great evening and enjoy your company and conversation kind of wine. I loved it. More than loving it I hated all that Pinot Noir represents since Sideways (the movie we all love to hate), but this wine was fun and easy, while still being present with us and our evening and it is not often that you find all of that in your wine drinking life.

I like conversation. I like wine. I like wine that lubricates conversation in a sexy, fun, easy way and this was the wine. And yes I hate that it was Pinot Noir but we cannot blame the poor simple grape for it's overhyped beauty. Instead I say race me to the store because I may very well pull all of those bottles off the shelf for my own consumption before you can even get there.

Pinot Noir, your beast and burden.

Labels: oregon, pinot noir, reds