Everything You Need to Know About Pinot Noir Wine
When you think of quality Old World wine, no doubt you think of the classics, like Burgundy, which is made from Pinot Noir. Thanks to its fruity flavours and smooth tannins, Pinot Noir wine is considered one of the most popular grapes in the world.
In this article, we’re exploring the fascinating world of Pinot Noir, including the best wine regions for making Pinot Noir, some of our recommended food pairings, organic Pinot Noir wines, and more. By the time you reach the end of this page, you’ll know everything there is to know about the amazing Pinot Noir grape…
Why is Pinot Noir so special? The delicate, ‘Holy Grail’ grape…
Today Pinot Noir may not be the most widely planted grape in the world (that title goes to Cabernet Sauvignon), but you will find that it’s considered one of the most important red wines due to its high quality. Unfortunately, this also means that it can be hard to find low-priced examples.
It is one of the hardest grapes to grow, meaning there are fewer bottles of Pinot Noir than wines made from many other grapes, although it’s increasing. Those who want a good Pinot Noir have to spend both time and money on the great bottles. Thus, Pinot Noir is considered a sort of “Holy Grail” of the wine world.
The Pinot Noir grape is thin-skinned, and both the fruit and the plant tend to be susceptible to diseases. For example, the vines are often plagued by powdery mildew, leaf roll, or fan leaf bunch rot. The grape and vine are both sensitive to rain, wind, and frost. The vine must be pruned in order to produce healthy grapes for making wine, but this must be balanced against reducing the yield.
All of these things make it a very delicate grape, one that is very hard to grow. This is one of the key reasons for the scarcity and high price of Pinot Noir.
The history of Pinot Noir wine isn’t fully clear. Like most Old World wines, the origin is believed to date back to the Roman era, possibly during the first century AD. Grapes similar to Pinot Noir were grown in Burgundy as early as the first century AD, and wild vines with Pinot Noir-like grapes have been discovered as far north as Belgium. It became a highly popular wine in the Middle Ages, as the church and nobility of France grew Pinot grapes in choice plots of land.
Did you know?
In 2004, a movie entitled “Sideways” explored the passion that wine stirs in people, as well as the difficulties in growing certain wines, like Pinot Noir. The wine snob character, played by Paul Giamatti, made such a big deal over Pinot Noir that moviegoers began to take interest in it. Thanks to this movie, the demand for Pinot Noir in the U.S. has grown significantly in the last decade.
For classic Old World Pinot Noir wine, look no further than the Burgundy region of France. The Côte d’Or is home to some of the oldest Pinot Noir-producing vineyards in the world. The best Pinot Noirs tend to be from this region of France, specifically the Côte de Nuits. It is also a key grape for making Champagne, and many other sparkling wines. Other European producers include Germany, Austria, and even the UK, which uses it mainly in sparkling wines.
For New World Pinot Noir, both Oregon and California in the United States are famous for producing quality examples. Chile, Argentina, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa are also great producers of Pinot Noir wines.
Important regions for Pinot Noir wines:
Finding a good Pinot Noir can be an investment of both time and money, and it can be tough to find Pinot Noirs that combine an affordable price tag with the high quality you want. Thankfully, we have been able to source excellent organic Pinot Noirs from some of the world’s most popular Pinot Noir regions.
- France: Particularly Burgundy, the origin place of Pinot Noir, which has the highest value and are also the hardest to find. Estates such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti produce tiny quantities and bottles can sell for thousands of pounds. Explore our organic Burgundy reds from Michel Magnien.
- Other regions in France for Pinot Noir wines include the Loire Valley, Alsace and the Languedoc. Explore all our French Pinot Noir wines here.
£27.00
£15.50
- New Zealand: Specifically Central Otago, where Pinot Noir first started to make a name for itself in New Zealand, but also Marlborough. This is a country that is having real success with this fickle grape, and high-quality examples are now made all over the country. Explore all our New Zealand Pinot Noir wines here.
£17.75
£52.00
- Argentina and Chile: In Argentina, Along the Rio Negro River, which is famous for its black cherry and spice-heavy flavours. In Chile, the coastal area of the Casablanca Valley is well suited to Pinot Noir production.
£15.50
£10.50
- Germany: Specifically the Ahr and Baden regions, where the Pinot grapes ripen with fruity and plummy flavours. These can be some of the most Burgundy-esque Pinot Noirs outside of France.
£17.50
Other recommended Pinot Noir wines
Explore our organic Pinot Noir wines from Alsace, Tasmania, Austria, and also Champagne of course.
£28.00
£35.00
£20.00
£42.00
A white Pinot Noir?
£17.50
Pinot Noir wine characteristics
If you’re looking for a truly elegant wine, Pinot Noir is one of the best wines to try. Thanks to its unique flavours, aromas, and structure, it often stands head and shoulders above the rest.
The flavours: Pinot Noir flavours tend to be mainly red fruits: cherries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranates, and currants. Some have darker flavours, such as plums, dark cherries, and black stone fruits. You can find earthy flavours of spice, truffle, mushrooms, and even “forest floor” flavours in older bottles, and these can be incredible wines to pair with food.
This structure: Although Pinot Noir can have a very fruity nose, the wine itself is dry, as with most reds. Pinot Noir is a low to medium tannin wine, with a medium to high acidity and a smooth, floral finish. The alcohol content varies, but is usually at the lower end for red wines, between 12 and 14% ABV.
Pinot Noir fun facts
Here are some interesting things you might not know about Pinot Noir:
- Pinot Noir is among the most expensive wines in the world. In 2013, six magnum-size bottles of 1995 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti sold at the impressive sum of $27,300 per bottle.
- Pinot Noir can be served at room temperature or lightly chilled — around 13°C to 18°C (55°F to 64°F)
- Pinot Noir is usually aged in French Oak, often older barrels, to enhance the complexity of aromas, rather than give an overt ‘oaky’ flavour.
- A bottle of Pinot Noir can age for anywhere up to 40 years, depending on its style. Champagne made from Pinot Noir can last longer than a Pinot Noir red wine.
- The genetics of the Pinot Noir grape makes it highly susceptible to mutation, and there are now many different clones giving slightly different characteristics.
- Less than 300,000 acres of wine-growing country in the world is dedicated to growing Pinot Noir grapes, compared to the estimated 850,000 of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pinot Noir & food pairing ideas
One of the things that makes Pinot Noir such a popular choice of wine is that it can pair with most foods. It’s one of the most versatile wines, meaning it will pair with a wide range of foods as well as stand on its own. It adds a touch of elegance to any meal – here are our Pinot Noir food pairing recommendations:
- Italian food: The elegant, light, and highly diverse wine pairs perfectly with the diversity of Italian food flavours. Whether you’re eating food from the north or south of Italy, there are Pinot Noirs out there than can match perfectly.
- Fatty fish: Salmon, sardines, and other fatty fish are a great combination to serve with light Pinot Noir. The subtle red fruit flavours and acidity will enhance the flavours of the fish.
- Mushroom dishes: The earthy flavours of mushrooms are the perfect match for the earthy, forest floor flavours of good quality Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is a wine that pairs with plenty of mushroom dishes, like a creamy mushroom risotto.
- Roast turkey: looking for a wine for your Christmas turkey? Look no further than Pinot Noir. It has low tannins and is light enough not to overpower the turkey and can go brilliantly with stuffing and cranberry sauce.
- Comté cheese: Comté is one cheese that pairs well with just about everything, so it’s the perfect cheese to serve with Pinot Noir wine. The cheese is actually produced in Burgundy, just 50 miles north of where Pinot Noir grapes are grown.
Pinot Noir wine is truly one of a kind, and it offers a versatility and elegance you just won’t find with many wines. If you want a wine that offers peerless complexity and luxury, you must try Pinot Noir, and we of course recommend organic Pinot Noir.
