How to Buy Sparkling Wine Without Getting Ripped Off

Week 13 Wrap-Up — What Pinot Noir Teaches You About Place

Six episodes, six regions, and one grape that expresses its location more vividly than almost any other variety in the world. Sunday's wrap-up brings the week together: the defining lesson about Pinot Noir and terroir, a personal top five bottles from across all four New World regions, your three-sentence cheat sheet for navigating the category, and a preview of next week — Spain, covering Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, and Albariño.

How to Buy New World Pinot Noir Without Getting Burned

Pinot Noir is the most producer-dependent grape in the world — more than almost any other variety, the same fruit in different hands produces completely different results. Saturday's practical episode covers the key questions to ask before buying: the clone question and why it matters, how to read oak influence on a label, the vintages worth seeking in each region, value picks at every price point, and the sommelier script that gets you exactly what you want.

Chile & Beyond — The Frontier Regions

The most exciting frontier in global Pinot Noir right now isn't Oregon or New Zealand — it's the places most people haven't heard of yet. Friday's episode covers the emerging Pinot Noir regions of Chilean Patagonia and the Bio-Bio Valley, where extreme southerly latitudes and cool climates are producing wines of startling freshness and complexity. Then a quick look at what Australia's Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula are doing with the grape, and why South Africa's Walker Bay is worth paying attention to.

New Zealand — Intensity at the Edge of the World

New Zealand produces Pinot Noir at the world's southernmost wine regions — and that extreme geography shows in the glass. Today's episode covers the three key New Zealand Pinot Noir zones: Central Otago, with its dramatic diurnal temperature swings and intensely colored, concentrated wines; Marlborough, known for Sauvignon Blanc but producing surprisingly serious Pinot; and Martinborough, a small zone north of Wellington producing wines with a precision and elegance that echoes Burgundy more than anywhere else in the country.

California — Four Regions, One Grape, Endless Variety

California produces more different styles of Pinot Noir than anywhere else in the New World — and understanding why requires understanding the geography. Today's episode walks through the four major California Pinot Noir regions: Russian River Valley's silky, strawberry-scented style; the wild, windswept Sonoma Coast; Santa Barbara's two very different valleys; and the cool, foggy Santa Cruz Mountains. Four regions, four personalities, one grape.