2003 Mumm Napa Pinot Noir

G.H. Mumm was founded in 1827, when the brothers Gottlieb, Jacobus and Philipp Mumm left their native Germany to settle in Reims and start a Champagne house. Their father was a successful wine producer and merchant in Cologne, and the family wanted to expand the business to France. In 1852 Georges Hermann Mumm, son of one of the founders, took over management and his initials became part of the brand. The Mumms were always smart marketers, and Georges Hermann invented the now famous Cordon Rouge bottling in 1852. By the early-20th century Mumm Champagne was famous internationally and served in courts, palaces and prestigious restaurants. Since 2005 the historic domaine has been part of the Pernod Ricard liquor and fine wine conglomerate. Mumm owns nearly 500 acres of mostly Pinot Noir, including many Grand Cru vineyards throughout the region. Though the estate is known for its non-vintage Cordon Rouge, wine writer Antonio Galloni has noted that “It is with its higher-end wines that Mumm really shines.”

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous winemaking region in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. With nearly 43,000 acres of vineyards and more than 300 wineries, it is the heart of fine wine production in the United States. Winemaking started in Napa in 1838 when George C. Yount planted grapes and began producing wine commercially. Other winemaking pioneers followed in the late 19th century, including the founders of Charles Krug, Schramsberg, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyards. An infestation of phylloxera, an insect that attacks vine roots, and the onset of Prohibition nearly wiped out the nascent Napa wine industry in the early 20th century. But by the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert Mondavi and other visionaries were producing quality wines easily distinguishable from the mass-produced jug wines made in California’s Central Valley. Napa Valley’s AVA was established in 1983, and today there are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA. Many grapes grow well in Napa’s Mediterranean climate, but the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is also very successfully cultivated, and about 30% of the AVA’s acreage is planted to white grapes, with the majority of those grapes being Chardonnay,

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.