For many (admittedly) mad vintners in various remote locations around the world, Pinot Noir is the Holy Grail. No other wine is such an enigma. While the Cabernet Sauvignon of Bordeaux is all power and weight, Pinot Noir is the epitome of grace and elegance. Great Pinot combines an extraordinary bouquet of spice, fruits, and earth with a sense of lightness bordering on frailty. It can indeed be a sensuous, if sometimes fleeting experience.

While chardonnay, for instance, is grown all over the US, pinot noir is much more picky. Some of the best appellations for US pinot noir include Oregon (perhaps destined to be the best of all) and several cool California sites--the Russian River Valley, Carneros, the South Central Coast (Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties), and two micro-appellations in Monterey County: Chalone and Mt. Harlan. (Wine/Grapes)