Etude was founded on the philosophy that winemaking begins in the vineyard long before the harvest and, that superior grape growing diminishes the need for intervention by the winemaker, resulting in wine that is grown, not made. Pinot Noir of all the classic grapes is the most difficult to make into wine. It mutates easily in the vineyard (a large number of clones have already been identified), is highly sensitive to climate and changes in soil composition, and is unstable during winemaking.