2010 Coho Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir

Coho is in Napa. It was founded in 2002 by Brooks Painter and Gary Lipp and named in honor of the Coho salmon, which the founders say “embodies an innate wisdom so essential to understanding ourselves and our environment. As stewards of the land winemakers must strive to sustain our habitat and the species that share it.” Before starting their own winery, Painter was a winemaker and manager at such Napa Valley producers as Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Robert Mondavi, and Lipp was a sales and marketing executive at Chalone Wine Estates and Paul Hobbs, among other places. Coho makes limited quantities of Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a red blend.

Carneros AVA, also known as Los Carneros, is at the southern end of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys at the top of the San Francisco Bay. The 8,000 vineyard acres are mostly planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both of which thrive in the district’s cool, marine climate. Carneros became an AVA in 1983 and it has attracted foreign wine companies along with local producers. It has been especially appealing to European producers of sparkling wines including the giant Spanish cava producers Codorniu and Frexinet, and the French Champagne house Taittinger. Codorniu in Carneros is called Artesa, and Frexinet’s Carneros brand is Gloria Ferrer. Taittinger calls its Carneros winery Domaine Carneros. The European producers also make still wines in Carneros.

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.