If the United States had a Facebook account and were in a relationship with the two grape varieties Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, then some time ago this very relationship status would have been called "it's complicated". This is because the country has a kind of love-hate relationship with both grape varieties used in American wines, each of which led to a blatant on-off relationship.

But fortunately, the love story between the USA and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay has something of a happy ending. Let's just take a closer look at the story of this complicated love. Because this is highly exciting! The settings are wines from California and wines from Oregon, the backdrops two blind tastings. In addition, we also clarify what two movies and the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) have to do with this particular love story. Here we go.

How a Road Movie Sparked Pinot Noir Hype in the United States

When it comes to Pinot Noir from the United States, one might think that the love story only began in 2004. Namely with the road movie "Sideways". The film itself was one of the big surprise hits of the year. The story about the unsuccessful writer Miles, who takes a trip through the wineries which produce Santa Barbara wines with his study buddy, has become legendary.

Miles, the Merlot despiser and Pinot Noir worshipper, wowed moviegoers. And triggered a real Pinot Noir boom in the United States. While sales of Merlot plummeted, Americans suddenly all wanted to have the diva of all grape varieties in their glass. And from California, of course, the setting of the film. This was precisely the so-called "Sideways Effect," which has now even been scientifically proven.

Pinot Noir in the United States: How it all really began

But the United States' real love story with Pinot Noir began much earlier than 2004, and not in California either. Since the end of the 1960s, Pinot Noir has been the big star in the neighboring state of Oregon to the north. Here, Mediterranean and continental influences balance each other out in the temperate climate. Especially for Willamette Valley, which is still considered the great Pinot Noir epicenter in the United States. Even then, Oregon was already producing fine and elegant growths that could stand comparison with Burgundy wines. This was proven not least by a blind tasting that took place in Paris in 1975. And no, it was not the legendary "Judgement of Paris". That didn't take place until 1976 - and will play a role here later.

In fact, the 1975 blind tasting has almost disappeared in the annals of the wine world. Because there was no bang for the buck. At that time, a jury blind tasted Pinot Noir growths from Oregon and the French wines from Burgundy. First place went to a Pinot Noir from Burgundy legend Robert Drouhin. But second place went to Oregon! French honor was saved. But curiosity was also aroused. Drouhin, in any case, could not let go of the Pinot Noir from the United States. He traveled through Oregon, visited the first edition of the "International Pinot Noir Celebration" festival in 1985, where Pinot Noirs from all over the world are celebrated for three days, and even founded his second winery there in 1988 with the Domain Joseph Drouhin. Just like that. Without any fanfare.

But that was ultimately the problem with Pinot Noir in the United States. Without a bang, there was no attention. Especially since in the 1980s the whole world was looking more to California than to Oregon. Chardonnay was to blame. Which finally brings us to the legendary "Judgement of Paris". That is, the blind tasting organized by Steven Spurrier, in which the Old World and the New World competed against each other. Namely Chardonnay from Burgundy and California as well as Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux and California.

At first, the blind tasting was dismissed as a lost labor of love. After all, it was clear to everyone present that French wines were vastly superior to United States wines in both cases. But then came the bang. First place went to a wine from California! Especially the Chardonnay 1973 from Chateau Montelena triggered a real hype about the grape variety after its victory. And for good reason. Because oenologist Mike Grgich let the Chardonnay mature for eight months in used barriques. Fun Fact: Grgich would have liked to use new barriques, but had none left. Which didn't matter much. Because his buttery, creamy, yet elegant Chardonnay caused a sensation in this way as well.

Meteoric Chardonnay rise in the United States

Such a style was not previously known in the United States. At most from Burgundy. But Burgundy was hardly drunk at all in the New World at that time. Chateau Montelena's Chardonnay style spread like wildfire in California. More and more wineries were growing their Chardonnay in wood. And due to the gigantic demand, there were numerous new plantings. Namely, from just under 10,000 to 23,000 hectares in 1990. In the meantime, there are even 41,000 hectares! Chardonnay is thus justifiably regarded as California's high-flyer par excellence.

But where there is a lot of light, there is also a lot of shadow. At the end of the 1980s, the extremely wood-emphasized Chardonnay reached its peak - and degenerated into a mass product. More and more wineries used wood chips to get the flavor right. Cheap productions with residually sweet, caramel-sticky Chardonnay wines flooded the market. And led to a countermovement: ABC. And no, we are not learning the alphabet now. Because ABC stands for "Anything but Chardonnay." This slogan was to be heard in the restaurants of the United States from the 1990s on more and more frequently. Wine lovers and experts resisted the pumped-up and clumsy Chardonnay style. They finally wanted fineness and elegance in the glass again!

That's exactly what was found in Pinot Noir at the time. However, not the growths from Oregon. They were still only something for real connoisseurs and lovers. But the wine world as such also looked to California. In 1947, the legendary oenologist André Tchelistcheff had already managed to conjure up a Pinot Noir from his Beaulieu Vineyard that did not need to fear comparison with the finest growths from Burgundy.

But until the 1970s, such elegant Pinot Noirs from California were actually rather a rarity. This is because the grape variety was planted in warm places right next to Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. The latter like warmth and sun. Pinot Noir, however, does not. It needs it moderately to unfold its true splendor.

How Pinot Noir came to the coast and rivers

Tchelistcheff already stated: "God created Cabernet Sauvignon, the devil created Pinot Noir". Tchelistcheff did not mean to demonize the famous grape variety. Just the handling of the diva of all grapes in the vineyard. Pinot Noir does not like it too cool or too warm, not too damp or too dry. A lot of yield leads to thin wines, too late harvest to sweet and sticky growths. And it doesn't want to be plastered over by wood, because otherwise it tastes like a clown on sugar drugs. You can do a lot of things wrong.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what took place in California until the 1970s. But then, fortunately, there was a change in thinking. Or rather, a change of location. The winemakers finally realized that Pinot Noir produces better results on the coast than inland. Suddenly, Pinot Noir was being planted in Santa Barbara, Monterey and Mendocino. In Sonoma, too, the grape variety found ideal conditions along the Russian River.

A film saves Pinot Noir in the United States

Yes, the grapes were still a bit lush in the beginning. And especially a Pinot Noir from the Russian River can still be recognized at first sip thanks to its subtle Coca-Cola note. But the wines shine with finer rather than pumped-up fruit. A great advantage for the grape variety. Unfortunately, not for the Americans. They were tired of the opulent and high-alcohol Chardonnays - but they were only able to do something with the fine and leaner Pinot Noirs to a limited extent. After the initial hype at the beginning of the 1990s, sales figures declined steadily.

When the movie "Sideways" hit theaters in 2004, Pinot Noir led a niche existence. But this changed abruptly thanks to Miles Ode's tribute to the grape variety. It was his praise of the fineness of Pinot Noir that made American wine lovers think again about their taste. Or maybe not. In any case, people in the United States now wanted a lot of fine and elegant Pinot Noir. Preferably from California. Here, the vineyard area grew from 8,000 to 11,000 hectares after the film. It quickly became known that equally delicate grapes came from Oregon.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay side by side: After "Sideways" follows "Bottle Shock

In the meantime, they had not only continued to specialize in Pinot Noir, but had also recognized that Chardonnay does very well here. The same discoveries were also made by the Californian winemakers. There is a reason why Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the two big stars in French Burgundy. That's why winemakers in the United States are gradually making inroads. Wherever Pinot Noir produced outstanding qualities, Chardonnay could also shine. Of course, this also worked the other way around.

While in Oregon the single vineyard sites with chalky soil are preferred for both grape varieties, in California it is still the proximity to the coast or the valleys along rivers. Because here, morning fog provides the necessary cooling. "Sideways" may have led to Pinot Noir in particular now being the focus of attention. But Chardonnay also received more attention again.

This was ensured not least by another wine film, "Bottle Shock" in 2008, which retold the story of the "Judgement of Paris" - and which took a great deal of artistic liberties in the process. "Bottle Shock" was not quite as commercially successful as "Sideways" and did not win as many film awards (for example, the Oscar for best screenplay adaptation), but it was enough for the Americans to give Chardonnay a second chance.

United States: Happy ending for a complicated love affair

And the white grape variety took advantage of this! Thanks to the better locations and the fact that wood was no longer used so excessively here, Chardonnay from Oregon and California now also shone with the wine lovers of this world. And in fact in the shoulder with Pinot Noir. Whereby Chardonnay is still the big seller despite the meanwhile celebrated fineness thanks to the good 41,000 hectares of vineyard area. There is still a lot of mass-produced wine here. But there are also a lot of top wines.

Pinot Noir, on the other hand, now covers just 15,000 hectares in the United States. Of these, 10,000 hectares are in California alone, and just under 5,000 in Oregon. California is and remains the top dog. This is also true for the top wines that you will find in our assortment. But our assortment of Oregon wines is growing steadily and quality matches California.