Is Grenache the New Pinot Noir?

(TheDailyMeal) - Hindsight of course is 20/20, and looking back at the surge of popularity that Pinot Noir experienced over the past decade one can see some of the factors that helped to contribute to the grapes rise in fortune. Of course we all attribute a considerable impact to the movie Sideways, which glamorized Pinot Noir like no other grape before. Add to this the growing popular awareness of the so-called French paradox and the wine industry's passionate affair with Pinot Noir and you have all the pieces in place, save one: the consumer.

Now here's the funny thing. If you ask consumers what it is they like about Pinot they'll tell you a few things. The wines are fruity, they are also soft and easy to drink, or at least tend to be  in the most popular incarnations. The funny thing here is that this style, profitable as it may be, is not what has driven the passion of vintners for decades. No, there are very few winemakers out there dreaming of producing a fruity, easy to drink Pinot from fruit farmed on the flatlands in some back water appellation. The industry wants to make art, the consuming public by and large wants to drink something that's fun. Why raise this issue? Well, I think it may very well by the lynchpin that pulls the whole Pinot Noir train apart.

With the disconnect between producers and consumers inherent in Pinot Noir one has to think how long the Pinot wave can continue to grow. In fact I would say we've probably peaked, both at the bottom and top of the market.