California Pinot Noir has come a long way, gaining popularity in the last 15 years. At first, winemakers were making Pinot Noir all over the state, the end result was watery green wine. Now, Pinot Noir is planted in the right cooler areas such as the Russian River and Santa Lucia Highlands. The end result is Pinot Noir that explodes with bright bing cherries with sweet earth tones.