California & Oregon
The USA is easily the second largest Pinot producing country in the world, led by California, whose Pinot industry I have been following closely since the late 1980s. Oregon has caught the international imagination though volumes are far smaller than in California. The talking point at the moment is how many Burgundians have established Oregonian connections: Drouhin began thirty years ago and more recently Jacques Lardière, Dominique Lafon, Jean-Nicolas Meo and Alexandrine Roy have all become involved in projects there.
Canada
I have yet to visit the beautiful Okanagan valley, or indeed Ontario, but I did have the opportunity to taste a wide variety of Canadian Pinots in London in May. Wines from Averill Creek, Cedar Creek and Meyer Family (all British Columbia) along with Ontario’s Thomas Bachelder, Queylus and Norman Hardie all caught my interest. Report follows.
