• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Vindulge

BBQ and Grilling Recipes with Wine Pairings

  • Home
  • About
    • About Mary
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work With Me
  • Cookbook
  • Wine
    • Food and Wine Pairing
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Resources
    • Fundamentals For Learning How to Grill
    • Guide to Pellet Grills – Common Q and A
    • Best Pellet Grill – MAK Two Star General – Versatile American Made Pellet Smoker
    • Blogger Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop Wines
  • Cookbook
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Wine Guides
  • Blogging Resources
  • Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are here: Home » Wine » Wine Guide » Pinot Noir Wine Guide

    Pinot Noir Wine Guide

    January 10, 2022 By Mary Leave a Comment

    Sharing is caring!

    50 shares
    • Facebook25
    • Twitter
    Pinot Noir Wine Guide
    Pinot Noir Wine Guide
    Pinot Noir Wine Guide
    Pinot Noir Wine Guide

    Pinot Noir is one of the most popular and most beloved red wines of all time. Winemakers describe it as a challenging and finicky grape to grow. But wine enthusiasts across the world love Pinot Noir for its delicate nature, elegance, light-medium body, gorgeous red fruit and spicy aromas, and deep complexity. Find out why this wine is such a big deal! 

    Pouring a bottle of Pinot Noir into a glass with several bottles of different Pinot Noir styles in the background
    Pinot Noir wine comes in many forms from white, pink, sparkling, and many styles of red.

    Loved and admired by sommeliers and enthusiasts across the globe, and a favorite of wine collectors, people are wild about great Pinot Noir, and consider it one of the world’s best wines. 

    Jump to:
    • What is Pinot Noir – A Quick Rundown
    • Flavor Profile: What does Pinot Noir Taste Like
    • Notable Regions where Pinot Noir is Grown
    • Styles of Pinot Noir
    • Pairing Pinot Noir with Food
    • Recipes to Pair

    What is Pinot Noir – A Quick Rundown

    • Pinot Noir (pronounced PEE-no no-AHR) is a thin-skinned red grape variety producing wines with high acidity and low to subtle tannins.
    • The name comes from the French words “pine” (pinot) indicative of the grape clusters that grow in a cone shape, and “black” (noir) indicting the dark color of the grapes.
    • It originated in Bourgogne (Burgundy), France, but also grows throughout the world in cooler climates like our home state of Oregon.
    • The wines go from light to medium bodied and ranges in style from light, fruity to bold and complex with long-term aging abilities. 
    • In France, Pinot Noir is labelled by the region where it’s grown, Burgundy (or Bourgogne as its referred to in France), and Champagne where it is one of the permitted grapes grown. 
    • Speaking of Champagne, it’s one of the 3 major grape varieties that go into Champagne. If you see a Champagne labeled Blanc de Noir, you can bet it’s Pinot Noir (and often with some Pinot Meunier blended in as well).
    • Pinot Noir can be made into still red wines, white wines, rosé, and sparkling. It’s that versatile!

    Flavor Profile: What does Pinot Noir Taste Like

    Typical descriptors will include:

    • Earth: leather, mushrooms, wet soil
    • Fruit: red berries (cherries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries), and black berries
    • Spice: vanilla, cinnamon, clove, tobacco, caramel

    French Pinot Noir, specifically those from Burgundy, takes on more earthy, and floral tones due to the regions terroir. The fruit in these wines is more subtle and nuanced vs. its New World counterparts. You’ll find some sweet black cherries, mushrooms and wet soil from this region. Many of these wines can age for decades, allowing them to slowly evolve. 

    The best California Pinot Noirs are grown in some of the cooler pockets of the state, benefiting from coastal fog (places like Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Carneros, Anderson Valley), and tend to be more bold, rich, and fruity in style, often with some noticeable tannins.

    Oregon Pinot Noir tends to be more elegant and subtle than its California counterparts, but richer and fruitier than Burgundy. For me, it’s the perfect balance between those two regions. 

    Notable Regions where Pinot Noir is Grown

    Pinot Noir is known as a finicky grape that requires a cool-climate, specific soils (ideally clay and chalky soils), and long growing seasons for the most successful grapes to thrive. 

    Vineyards in Bourgogne France
    Vineyards in Bourgogne (Burgundy) France in the fall

    France

    One of France’s oldest grapes, Bourgogne (Burgundy) is known as the birthplace of Pinot Noir, and where some of the most sought after and most expensive bottles come from. 

    In Champagne, it is one of the major grapes permitted in the sparkling wines made here. You’ll also find some Pinot Noir in the Loire Valley (in red and rosé Sancerre). 

    United States

    • Oregon: Pinot Noir makes up nearly 60% of all the plantings in Oregon. The Willamette Valley is practically synonymous with Pinot Noir, where it makes up 70% of the plantings here. The Willamette Valley is also on the same latitude as Burgundy and has a similar climate and growing conditions to the grape’s birthplace. You’ll find Pinot in all forms here (red, white, rosé and sparkling). 
    • California: Look for those from cooler and foggy areas, like Russian River Valley, the Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley, and Central Coast.

    Other Notable Regions

    • New Zealand: Where you’ll find elegant and bright fruit-dominant styles.  
    • Germany: Where it is called Spätburgunder and is the most planted red grape in the country. 
    • Italy (where it’s also called “Pinot Nero”), Australia, Chile, and South Africa. 
    Several bottles of Pinot Noir in different styles on a wood board

    Styles of Pinot Noir

    • Red
    • White 
    • Rosé
    • Sparkling 

    Pairing Pinot Noir with Food

    Pinot Noir comes in a wide variety of styles (from very light and delicate, to spicy and bold), and is known for its low tannins and high acidity making it an excellent match for a wide variety of foods. Many like to pigeonhole these wines into pairing with salmon. And while they are indeed a great match for salmon of all kinds, they can certainly hold up to pork, vegetables, duck, and even a good steak. Yes, that’s right. Depending on the style, even Pinot can pair with a great grilled steak! 

    Grilled Hanger Steak on a platter
    We used Pinot Noir in our Hanger Steak and Marionberry Wine Glaze recipe (link below).

    Recipes to Pair

    The following recipes are great for pairing. They also represent a variety of protein types to show off the versatility of this dynamic wine.

    • Perfect Grilled Salmon
    • Smoked Coq au Vin
    • Grilled Hanger Steak with Red Wine and Marionberry Glaze
    • Grilled Mushroom Crostini
    • Rack of Lamb
    • Smoked Pork Chops – Reverse Seared

    « Grilled Scallops and Shrimp with Chimichurri
    Grilled Cod with Chimichurri Sauce »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

    Learn More...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Fire and Wine Cookbook Cover.

    Get Ready for Summer

    Smoked Brisket

    What’s on our Grill

    The Best Gluten Free Drop Biscuits – 5 Ingredients

    Smoked Hot Honey Ribs Recipe

    Vegetarian Chorizo Recipe with Cauliflower

    Hot Honey Pizza on a serving dish

    Hot Honey Pizza with Prosciutto and Ricotta

    More

    As Seen On

    Products we love

    taking the temperature of a porchetta roast on the grill
    We use Thermoworks Signals BBQ Alarm to monitor the internal temperature of the meat while it’s cooking, then double check with an instant read thermometer, like the Thermapen One.

    Vindulge Wine Club

    join the wine club side bar

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Vindulge

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    50 shares
    • 25