If you are in the Burgundy region of France you may be standing on the 47th latitude north, follow this to the far west and you will be very close to the vineyards of Oregon.

If you journey south you will find that Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is situated about 45 degrees on its side of the equator.

It could be argued that these three regions are the world’s most respected for growing the finicky Pinot Noir grape, although there are other cool microclimates where it does strive for perfection. So think about narrow bands about 3,200 miles north and south of the equator.

Burgundy, on the eastern side of France, is the birthplace of Pinot Noir and a good one is not inexpensive but there are reasons for this. Tonnage per acre of grape production is limited by the laws of appellation controlee, with the most being 3.4 tons and for the top wines it is two or less.

Individual land holdings tend to be small; you may have heard of the Clos Vougeot vineyard that is about 110 acres overall, but it has 82 owners — each with their own piece!

2012 was a very good vintage and our Joseph Drouhin Cote de Nuits-Villages is an assemblage from several villages that is bright ruby in colour with aromas of wild cherry, liquorice and mild spices.

I would suggest that this would be quite lovely with salmon or tuna where its crisp, pleasing acidity and overall delicate nature will give you the chance to experience Burgundy. $32.20

The Drouhin family was the first from Europe to set up shop in Oregon and today they own a 225-acre estate in the Dundee Hills that overlooks Willamette Valley.

They farm biodynamically just as they do in France and their winery is gravity-fed so that their wine can he handled as gently as possible with no pumping from one area to another.

The Domaine Drouhin 2012 Pinot Noir received a 93/100 from the Wine Enthusiast magazine that went on to say: “It aims for overall finesse with pretty raspberry, cherry and mocha flavours. Its compelling length suggests that it has a life until at least 2024.” $39.40

I never really paid much attention to Pinot Noir until I tasted a few from Central Otago and now I stand accused of possibly bringing too many home!

One of the first to put this area on the map (1992) is Mt Difficulty and their entry-level Pinot Noir is called “Roaring Meg”.

She was a young lady who made rather a fortune during the gold rush days in the 1800s, her profession possibly being even older than the wine trade.

Roaring Meg 2012 Pinot Noir won a gold medal at the Decanter magazine World Wine Awards and was described as “a tantalising summertime bouquet of freshly picked strawberries, gently floral with delicate sweet, wild strawberry and spicy integrated tannins. Silky, floral textures mingle with outstanding grip and an elegant finish”. $27.60.

Recently 120 wineries in Central Otago were classified into five levels of quality and five were placed in the top category with five stars; Mt Difficulty was one of these. We presently are selling their 2011 Bannockburn Pinot Noir that is displaying delicious perfumed aromatics with piercing clarity; dark red and black fruits of the forest dominate the aroma and these are underpinned by lifted floral notes. This is what Pinot Noir is all about. $44.45.

I would be negligent if I did not remind you that Pinot Noir contains far more resveratrol than any other grape variety and this is Mother Nature’s way of protecting the vine and fruit against the temperature fluctuations, fungi and bacteria that frequent the cool, damp climate where it is planted.

Resveratrol, a polyphenol with strong antioxidant properties, may play a role in cancer prevention, protect our nerve cells from oxidative damage, help support healthy arterial function and even bone health. The list goes on and on, but only if the wine is consumed in moderation of course.

• This column is a paid for advertorial for Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. Michael Robinson is Director of Wine at Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. He can be contacted at mrobinson@bll.bm or 295-0176. Burrows Lightbourn has stores in Hamilton (Front Street East. 295-1554), Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355) and St George’s (York Street, 297-0409). A selection of their wines, beers and spirits is available online at www.wineonline.bm.