The WineThough there are damn few white wine Pinot Noirs available on the market, they are easy to make. The winemaker simply removes the juice from the skins immediately after pressing - it's the SKINS that lend the color to any red wine during a maceration (soaking the juice with the skins) process that lasts for a few hours (for pink wines) to several days/weeks.
But fans of good sparkling wine regularly enjoy the result of a Pinot Noir Blanc, as it is one of the two red grapes (Pinot Meunier being the other) that are used in many of the world's sparkling wines. Ever drink a Blanc de Noir? Yep, that's it. A white from red grapes.
But what's it taste like? It has the complexity of a Pinot Noir, but without the mouthfeel the tannins lend. Like the Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc counterparts (two white grape mutations of Pinot Noir), the wine is soft and round and inviting, with lush fruit notes - ripe stone fruits balanced by good, mouth-watering acidity.
Instead of a paper label, each of Lichen's wines has a screen-print image featuring a different variety of the local Lichen. Visitors to the tasting room are given a clip board with the tasting sheet and a piece of lichen as adornment.
The Winery
Doug Stewart is a serial entrepreneur. So by definition, he's not afraid to push some boundaries. Leveraging the sale of his frozen desert company (it featured obscure fruits from the rainforest, providing a sustainable alternative to removal!), he moved on to wine, starting Breggo Cellars in the early 2000s, where he pioneered densely planted Pinot Noir vineyards tended by a tractor custom-designed for the tight rows. Breggo became one of Anderson Valley's most-awarded wineries, and their Pinot Gris was described by Robert Parker as "the finest ever in the world".
But sacrificing cash flow so he could hold a certain vintage until it was fully ready for release ended up producing a call on his bank loan as the Great Recession hit (lesson learned - never rely on a handshake agreement from a banker) and Breggo was forced into a sale.
Don't shed too many tears for the Stewarts though, as he paid off his loan and launched Lichen Estates, eventually getting back his Pinot vineyard and tasting center. He and his wife, Ana, strive "to leave our children and grandchildren land that is healthier than when we arrived". A sustainable vineyard is just a small part of their large property in Anderson Valley, and the whole affair is managed to maximize diversity.
