Published: May 01. 2010 2:00AM

By Danny Baker
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Since the movie “Sideways,” Pinot Noir has become the wine world’s new darling. This previously undervalued grape made its reputation in the Burgundy region of France, where noble, elegant, and expensive Pinot Noirs have been made for centuries.

“Sideways,” however, highlighted California’s Santa Barbara region. While the movie may not have been the greatest cinematic accomplishment ever, it certainly brought Pinot Noir to the forefront for casual wine drinkers. The result has been an explosion in the number of producers, but a corresponding scarcity of fruit, resulting in premium prices for some wines.

Despite the prominence of Burgundy and the film’s spotlight on Santa Barbara, Oregon and Northern California are also regions of major significance. Oregon often trumpets that its location on the same latitude as Burgundy makes its wines the most comparable. The Russian River and Carneros regions can make a similar claim, however, based on the cool, moist air flowing in from the Pacific Ocean.

Pinot styles have begun to vary widely. This tended not to be true before the film. But with the increased popularity of the grape, newer producers have begun to stretch the grape beyond its historic flavor and aroma profiles. Classic Pinot Noir is typically light-ruby colored with medium concentration. You can almost read through it! Newer styles have become almost as dark as Syrah in color, and with opacity to match. The newer styles also tend to be higher alcohol, ranging up beyond 15 percent, where classic Pinots tend to be in the 13 percent range.

Specific examples you might look for include Mirassou, MacMurray Ranch and King Estate. The Mirassou will be the lightest, most restrained of the group. In the warm weather, you can even lightly chill a Pinot like the Mirassou to make it more refreshing. MacMurray Ranch tends to be a bigger, riper style, although still well-balanced. Fruit for the MacMurray comes from the Sonoma coast and Russian River, two of Sonoma County’s most prestigious areas for Pinot.

King Estate, on the other hand, offers a glimpse into Oregon. King Estate is a historic property, the first winery in the United States to produce Pinot Gris, which has become another Oregon staple, along with Pinot Noir. The King Estate Pinot Noir is characterized by rich, red fruit, including strawberry, ripe cherry and traces of red plum.

Stuck for a wine choice, with friends who have different main course preferences? Choose Pinot Noir. It pairs well with everything, from poultry to salmon to red meat. Best of all, all of you will love the wine!