By: Ed "The Wine Guy"
For many years, the white wine of choice in the USA was Chardonnay, the red wine of choice was Merlot; now, it is Pinot Grigio (Gris, the same grape) and Sauvignon Blanc - a virtual tie - for white wine, and Pinot Noir for red. Tastes change, in clothes, in cars, in wines. The change in favor of Pinot Noir is due, in large part, to the 2004 movie SIDEWAYS, in which Pinot Noir was featured.
The Burgundy region of France is the home of Pinot Noir where the wines can age well, often 15 to 20 years after the vintage. The Pinot Noir grape is a very difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine; difficult but most rewarding. It is very thin-skinned and sensitive, less tolerant of hard, windy, hot and dry, harsh conditions than Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah (Shiraz, the same grape), Merlot, and Malbec. Many vineyards aren't even tempted to grow such a finicky grape. We are thankful to California and Oregon for their boldness and skill.
This Underwood Pinot Noir is light- to medium-bodied; transparent; exhibiting classic aromas and flavors: raspberry, a hint of chocolate, earthy undertones.
As an aside: Underwood is now producing wines in a can. I was very skeptical at first; believe it or not, they are delicious and handy: ready-to-travel wines.
Taste and see!