Kim Crawford South Island solves Pinot Noir problem

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/09/2018 (2551 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They call Pinot Noir the heartbreak grape.

And it’s been breaking my heart for all the wrong reasons lately.

Its moniker is attributed to the fickle and persnickety nature of the fruit, its tendency to be unpredictable and literally thin-skinned. The latter quality makes it susceptible to pests, rot and disease. It’s a challenging grape to grow because it apparently mutates easily, so what is planted might not result in what the producers hoped for.

And I know that, generally speaking, one gets what one pays for. But that, too, is up for debate, at least in this case.

My husband never liked Pinot at all, until he made his first trip to Sonoma and Napa counties in California (without me, I might add, although he made up for that by taking me back eight months later and being my designated driver for the entire trip). There was something about the Cali Pinots he thoroughly enjoyed. And of course every region in the world creates wines that taste slightly — or a lot — different than those of the same varietal grown elsewhere. That’s due to terroir, a term that collectively encompasses not only soil, but all the climatic conditions that affect grape growth — temperature, sunshine, precipitation, etc.

When I made my California wine-country trip, I agreed that the Pinot Noir there was fabulous. We tried it at several different wineries, and essentially loved them all. Heck, everything was wonderful — I had very few wines I didn’t like. And very many I adored.

But there’s often something magical about travel, and being in the places that produce the wines, and being on holidays and not at work, not on a schedule, seeing new things everything is an adventure, a new experience, something special.

And it’s amazing how all that changes when one gets home.

While we could only get a select few of the wines we’d sampled in California here in Manitoba, they were, in many cases, twice as expensive, and almost uniformly, not as good as we’d had on our vacation. (It was a working vacation for me, and I’m sure you’re feeling very, very sorry for me. “Yeah, poor you, Diane — it must suck to have to go to all those wonderful wineries and sample their wares.” Well, you’re right to be sarcastic. It is pretty cool. But believe it or not, sometimes even I get tired of tasting wine. It’s a rare occurrence, but it does happen.)

Anyway, I’ve been trying to find a Pinot to please me for the last several months. Within reason, I don’t care how much it costs — I’ve gone as high as $27, maybe even $30. But none of them I’ve tried, not even the ones we had copious quantities of in California, have knocked my socks off here. And truthfully, I don’t want to spend $30 on a wine, but I will if it’s truly special. However, I haven’t found one yet.

I have this salmon dish I prepare at home quite frequently, and I love Pinot with salmon, so that’s why the search has been on. I was recommended a Niagara Pinot that was about $17, and it was OK, but nothing to write home about. I re-tried one from New Zealand I thought I’d remembered liking, but I was mistaken. It was brash and sour and I hated every sip of it. I even poured the last third of the bottle down the drain. I’d been hoping it would improve over a few days with oxidizing, and it did, but not enough to make it palatable, for me at least.

There is something, though, about brand recognition, and I’ve tried three (now four) of the eight wines available here in the Kim Crawford line from New Zealand, and I’ve been impressed with every one of them. From the Sauvignon Blanc to the Pinot Gris to the Chardonnay (all $19.99), they were delicious.

So when I was walking by the Kim Crawford section at the Liquor Mart, I saw the South Island Pinot Noir, and thought, ‘You know, why not?’ I couldn’t remember if I’d tried it before, but if the other wines in the line were any indication, I figured — hoped, at least — this one would be good too.

And I’m delighted to report I was right.

With aromas and flavours of cherries and other red berries, a pinch of oak, and that mushroomy earthiness that is a hallmark of the varietal, the Kim Crawford South Island Pinot Noir was medium-bodied as opposed to thin, and this, for me at least, is a draw, although I’d really like to find some light-bodied wines I enjoy. I’m working on that for an upcoming column.

So the KC Pinot is now my go-to beverage to accompany my salmon pasta. It’s smooth and silky and flavourful enough to balance the garlic, basil and tomatoes I use in in the dish. I’m sold. At least until the next tempting, flirty little Pinot comes along.