2012 Montesquieu Winery Damietta Pinot Noir

Montesquieu Winery is part of the Montesquieu wine group, a California-based negociant and importer that produces wines under its own label and custom labels. Montesquieu takes its name from the influential French Enlightenment-era statesman and political philosopher Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu. Besides being known for his political tracts, he was a life-long wine connoisseur, and is often credited with being the first to identify the Cabernet Sauvignon grape in the early 18th century. Montesquieu the wine group works as a negociant with small producers in the U.S. and around the world, importing artisanal wines from Europe, South America and South Africa, and creating private label wines for small West Coast producers.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.