A global wine trend right here in BC - Blanc de Noir
Red, white, rosé, sparkling, and fortified.
These are the categories we all know of when it comes to wine. Champenoise enthusiasts are familiar with terms like ‘Blanc de Blanc’ and ‘Blanc de Noir.’ These tell us that the white, sparkling wine was made from white or black grapes, respectively. And thanks to a successful rebranding over the last decade (rosé all day!) and its instagram-friendly spectrum of colours, BC wine-os are familiar with lightly-pink-to-orange coloured wine made from dark-skinned grapes such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc.
However, there is an emerging style gaining momentum in foreign markets such as Germany, California, and Argentina, and some BC producers are jumping on. Blanc de Noirs are still, white wines produced from black grapes. Rather than allowing for brief skin contact to give the wine a hint of colour as with rosé, these are pressed immediately after harvest and the juice separated from the skins. The result, in the glass and on the palate, is a captivating trickster that plays with your senses and forces you to check your assumptions.
Beyond providing consumers with the novel experience of enjoying this type of wine, and tapping into a new market, there are practical reasons a producer might decide to make a Blanc de Noir. If the local micro-climate has made it difficult to fully ripen grapes intended for red wine, or the skins aren’t producing enough colour, Blanc de Noir can be a life raft. Similarly, a crop that might otherwise be lost to smoke taint - a growing threat with increasing forest fires here in BC - can be saved by making the wine with zero skin contact.
Perhaps, though, the best incentive to produce a Blanc de Noir is that they are exciting and delicious! It is an opportunity to see what the naked grape is all about - its truest character beneath the skin. In the glass you will commonly find fruity aromas like citrus, apricot, and peach, as well as floral and mineral notes. Don’t be surprised if you find aromas and flavours of red fruits like strawberry and cherry as well. Our minds don’t rely solely on sight cues to interpret what we’re tasting, so trust what your brain is telling you! Depending on the winemaking methods used, you may find bright vibrancy and balanced acidity, or a softer, rounded mouthfeel, or even a structural blend of the two.
Photo Credit: Nighthawk Vineyards
There are only a handful of BC wines being marketed as Blanc de Noir at the moment, and with any luck more of our great producers will catch on. In my opinion if the wine has any blush hue, we can just call it a rosé. I’ve found one ‘true’ Blanc de Noir that can pass as a white wine, and it’s worth seeking out: the Nighthawk Vineyards Winemakers Reserve Blanc de Noir 2022 made from 100% estate grown Pinot Noir. The colour is a pale yellow like your favourite chard. On the nose there is ripe fruit and floral character, and the palate is simultaneously soft, rich, and vibrant - neither shy nor audacious. The use of neutral French oak was wise so as not to overpower the wine’s intrinsic delicate nature and is a beautiful expression of Pinot Noir from one of Canada’s highest altitude vineyards!
“A few years ago we created our Winemaker's Reserve series, to support the creativity of our winemaker Dakota. Each year he chooses one varietal, and creates a small lot production in a non-traditional "avant garde" fashion. Examples of this would be our Blanc de Noir in 2022/2023.” says Daniel Bibby, Nighthawk Vineyards. “We introduce these wines to our customers as a creative expression of that varietal, based on our terroir and the characteristics of the grapes from that growing season.”
Photo Credit: Nighthawk Vineyards
Food pairing is pretty straightforward with these versatile wines. Try with appys like warm olives, soft cheese, and fresh salads, and dishes like roast poultry, risotto, poached fish, or white pizza. This style really is a chameleon. It’s for your white-wine-only aunt. It’s for your Pinot-obsessed cousin (have you tried this new white Pinot Noir?). It’s for your aficionado father-in-law who’s tried everything (yeah right, Frank). And it’s definitely rosé-adjacent for the ‘patio-pounder’ crowd (have you tried this white rosé?). Stay curious and open to discovery, try one if you find one, and let’s see where this trend goes in BC!
*Piece written by: Matt Tinney (Contributor, uncorkBC )