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Wine

Pinot Noir

The lightest of the main red grapes, Pinot noir is prized for its elegance and silky texture, with bright cherry and strawberry aromas and a medium-bodied fruitiness. Mild and versatile, it is a popular choice when a red wine is desired without being too heavy.

Flavor Descriptors

Generally light to medium-bodied, with a range of pretty red fruit flavors (cherry, strawberry, raspberry). Less fruity styles often have mild earthy forest-floor aromas of mushroom and/or a perfume of dried fruits and exotic spice.

Food Pairings

Pinot Noir from Burgundy

This style shines when paired with pork loin, roasted chicken, and mushroom dishes. With its two traditional mainstays coq au vin and boeuf bourguignonne, not only is it an excellent complement, but is also one of the main ingredients as well.

California Pinot Noir

With its fruitier style, this works well with chicken, pork, or lean beef, especially when grilled or well-spiced.

Oregon Pinot Noir

Delicious with the locally caught salmon, as well as mildly flavored lamb, chicken, and pork.

Most Pinot Noir...

...Makes an excellent cocktail party red when serving a variety of finger-foods, and the varied tastes of many guests need to be considered. Also an interesting stepping-stone red in multicourse (and multiwine) meals.

Buying, Storing, & Serving

Pinot noir should be served at room temperature (as long as the “room” isn’t too hot!) although lighter versions make for a refreshing change of pace in the summer when lightly chilled.

Pinot noir is generally released one to two years after vintage and ready to be consumed within a couple of years. Too young a wine might be unduly harsh, whereas too old a wine may have lost some of its youthful fruit vigor.

Buying (and drinking) an older bottle will typically get you a mellower softer wine with less obvious fruitiness and more herbaceous aromas. A younger wine will offer brighter, juicier fruit flavors and a firmer texture in the mouth-feel

Store bottles in a cool, dark place. While it is now common for wine makers to use plastic corks or screw-tops lids which may be stored vertically or horizontally, those with the traditional corks should be laid on their sides to keep them moist.