Burgundy vs. Pinot

[wondersofwine]

Forget about American Burgundy. Let's start over. True Burgundy is made in the Burgundy region of France where Pinot Noir is the principal grape for red wines and rose' wines and Chardonnay is the principal grape for white wines. The Pinot Noir grape is also widely grown in other parts of the world such as Australia, New Zealand, California, Oregon, the Finger Lakes area of New York, Germany (where it is called Spatburgunder), etc.
In France the wines are usually labeled by region (Burgundy, Rhone, Loire, Languedoc, Champagne, Bordeaux, etc.). In the United States the grape varietal is named (Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, etc.) as well as region (Napa, Sonoma, Finger Lakes, Virginia, Washington, Carneros, Russian River Valley, Central Coast, etc.).
American Pinot Noir is from the same grape varietal as red Burgundy wines. Different clones of the grape are used alone or in blends. Climate, soil, vineyard practices (whether grapevines are trellised, how much is cropped before or during the growing season, etc., exposure to sunshine) have great impact on the grapes. Winemaking practices also impact the final product. A Pinot Noir produced in California or Oregon is unlikely to taste similar to a wine produced in Burgundy (although some seem to be getting closer to that taste). Some people will prefer the taste of the French wines and some will prefer the taste of the American (or Australian, New Zealand, etc.) wines. I like the better examples of both.