Pinot Noir
The wine known by the name pinot noir is produced by grapes called Vitis vinifera, an ancient grape that has been around since the 13th century. The Wine itself was perfected by Cistercian monks a specific order of the catholic religion who were known for following the rule of Saint Benedict to a tee, with extra focus on quiet seclusion and manual labor. Since the grape Vitis Vinifera have been around for so long it the actual breed is hypothesized to have up to 1,000 different variants.
On top of being a relatively rare grape, Vitis Vinifera has an early growing season and is extremely sensitive. Due to this the grape itself is susceptible to spring frosts and burns if in the sun too much. If any of these do actually happen it can actually impact the flavor of the grape itself when it is turned into pinot noir. In addition to being such a sensitive grape, it also has really tight clusters which mean that any sign of rot or mildew can spread like wildfire. Due to Vitis Vinifera being such an ancient grape with rich history and a difficult cultivation methods true pinot noir is certified by the California sustainable winegrowing alliance to guarantee quality.
Aligoté
Aligoté, itself is a very adaptable grape, but is frequently affected by rot. In particular it is susceptible to downy mildew and grey rot. Its adaptable nature likely comes form the fact that it has an early growing period leaving it vunerable to frosts in early spring and some higher temperatures. Unlike Pinot noir aligoté doesn’t have as long of a history, however its development was quite unique.
First coming into the picture in the 17th century as a result of pinot noir and Gouais Blanc, aligoté shares its origin with chardonnay. However unlike chardonnay it often produces bigger and plentiful grapes. Likely due to its abundance it was deemed on the lower than chardonnay, however do remember it does share an ancestor with Pinot noir, so as much as it is in abondance it shines in its own unique way with its citrusy taste, mixed with floral hints.