|
[1] Getting ready to enjoy a glass of Pinot Noir (photo © Rebelle | NYC [permanently closed]).
[2] Consider a wine vacation and the pleasure of tasting wine at the vineyard. This one is in the Okanagan Valley wine region in British Columbia, Canada, a perfect climate for growing Pinot Noir (photo © Kym Ellis | Unsplash).
[3] A glass especially shaped for Pinot Noir. The funnel-shaped bowl allows pinot noirs to breathe and the slightly flared rim properly funnels their unique aromas. These are from Crate & Barrel (photos #3 and #4 © Crate & Barrel).
[4] Lighter red wines like Pinot Noir pair nicely with delicately flavored, washed-rind cheeses like Taleggio, and nutty, medium-firm cheeses like Gruyère (photo © Louis Hansel | Unsplash).
[5] A glass of Pinot Noir is delicious with lamb (photo © DeLallo).
[6] Pinot Noir with Surf & Turf (photo © Ocean Prime).
|
|
Updated August 2026
Most wine drinkers have their favorite varietals; one of ours is Pinot Noir (PEE-no-NWAR), the great red grape from the Burgundy region of France. All fans should pop open a bottle on August 18th, National Pinot Noir Day.
In France, which names its wines by the regions they’re made in, it’s known as Red Burgundy. Elsewhere, the wine is named for the grape, Pinot Noir.
The name of the grape derives from the French words for pine (pin) and black (noir), inspired by the tightly clustered, pine cone–shaped bunches of Pinot Noir grapes, and their purple-black color.
Pinot Noir is the most planted varietal in the Champagne region of France.††.
Below:
> Why is Pinot Noir a great wine?
> Where to start with Pinot Noir.
> The world’s top Pinot Noir-growing regions.
> Is it the world’s most finicky grape?
> The history of Pinot Noir.
> Other wines named “Pinot.”
> The major red wines of the U.S. and France.
Elsewhere on The Nibble:
> The year’s 25+ red wine holidays.
> The year’s 22+ white wine holidays.
> The year’s 10+ Champagne and other bubbly/sparkling wine holidays.
WHY IS PINOT NOIR A GREAT WINE?
Pinot Noir holds a nearly mythical status among wine collectors, sommeliers, and critics, often referred to as the “holy grail” of wine. Although tasting a fine Pinot explains it all, these factors explain why it is such a great wine:
Elegant flavor. Many full-bodied red wines derive their power from bold tannins, high alcohol, and intense oak. Pinot Noir delivers equal or greater aromatic complexity while remaining light- to medium-bodied with bright, natural acidity. It offers a combination of power and finesse—often described as “an iron fist in a velvet glove.”
In its youth, the wind delivers fresh red fruit (cherry, cranberry, raspberry), subtle florals (rose petal, violet, ), and mineral undertones. At maturity, the wine evolves into a savory, non-fruit complexity, including forest floor (sous-bois), damp earth, black truffle, tea leaves, leather, and game. (If these descriptions don’t do anything for you, just taste the wine!
Exceptional food versatility. Due to its moderate tannins and high acidity, Pinot Noir pairs effortlessly with a wide range of foods. It works with everything from duck, pork, and salmon to roasted poultry, earthy mushroom dishes, and a variety of cheeses.
Exceptional terroir transparency. A feature appreciated by connoisseurs, Pinot Noir has thin skins and a delicate flavor profile, making it unusually sensitive to its environment. Unlike heavier, more tannic red grapes that can dominate the palate, Pinot Noir clearly shows its micro-terroir‡‡. Two vineyards just a few hundred yards apart in Burgundy can produce drastically different wines, allowing connoisseurs to explore subtle differences in soil composition, slope, elevation, and microclimate. (Don’t worry if this is not your aim; just enjoy the deliciousness of the wine.
Longevity and aging potential. Despite its lighter color and lower tannin levels compared to Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah, the high natural acidity and complex phenolic structure of a well-made Pinot Noir allow it to age gracefully for decades, steadily developing deeper tertiary nuances as it ages in the cellar.
Now For The Downside
Pinot Noir is notorious for being the most temperamental and fragile grape to cultivate. It is prone to rot, frost damage, and mildew, and it requires precise, cool climates to ripen properly without losing its acidity. That means every harvest of Pinot Noir faces more potential challenges than other grapes.
Because of these challenges of terroir (for example, in a particularly rainy season, rain gets into the thin skins and creates diluted wines), there are few areas capable of consistently producing great Pinot Noir.
Those with great terroir for Pinot include Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, select parts of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, California’s Russian River Valley and Santa Rita Hills, and Central Otago in New Zealand).
The top estates in top vintages produce high-quality wines, but they are fewer bottles available, they’re highly sought after, and (you can guess what’s coming) they’re expensive.
But you can find good wines whatever your price range.
WHERE TO START WITH PINOT NOIR
If you’re not an experienced Pinot Noir taster, it’s easy to start. Pinot Noir is approachable when young: dry with delicious fruit flavors (typically cherry and raspberry), and soft tannins.
It pairs with just about anything you’d want to eat with red wine, from classic pairings. While we mentioned them above, here they are to inspire your Burgundy menu:charcuterie, cheeses, chicken, duck, lamb, rabbit and other game, salmon and other fatty fish including tuna, mushrooms, pasta, pork, turkey, stews, veal—even beef, burgers, and pizza.
You can also raise a glass of Pinot Noir with non-spicy Asian cuisine. Red wine drinkers can enjoy it with sushi and sashimi dishes.
You can even enjoy it with dark chocolate!
Ask your wine store clerk for recommendations, and consider a gathering where a group can taste several different regions, or several wines from the same region, to compare.
THE WORLD’S TOP PINOT NOIR-GROWING REGIONS
Pinot Noir is one of the six “noble grapes” (cépages nobles) that have long been considered to have the potential to produce great wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Pinot Noir grapes are grown around the world, mostly in cooler climates.
Beyond the Burgundy region France, Pinot Noir has been transplanted and thrived in:
Oregon: the Willamette Valley.
California: the Carneros, Central Coast, Sonoma Coast, and Russian River AVAs†.
South Africa: the Elgin and Walker Bay wine regions of the Mornington Peninsula.
Australia: the Adelaide Hills, Great Southern, Tasmania, and Yarra Valley.
New Zealand: the Central Otago, Martinborough, and Marlborough wine regions.
There are also smaller regions making fine Pinot Noir wines, including Argentina, Austria, Canada, Chile, Germany, Italy, the Long Island AVA† in New York State, Moldova, the U.K., Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland [source].
|
In the Champagne region of France, Pinot Noir is the most planted varietal (the others are Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier).
All of the areas where Pinot Noir grapes are grown have cool and humid climates, the perfect conditions for growing the superior Pinot Noir grapes.
The grape also does its best in well-drained, stony, or chalky soils.
[7] Our favorite Burgundy is La Tache, from a great French vineyard. Thirty years ago we could afford to lay down a few bottles—but not since (the current vintage is around $6,000 per bottle). But the memories remain (photo © The Nibble).
THE WORLD’S TOP MOST FINICKY GRAPE?
Pinot Noir is a difficult grape to grow, susceptible to rot because of those tightly-packed grape clusters. Beyond rot, the thin skins of the varietal make it susceptible to other infections and diseases. And the varietal has low yields.
After a successful harvest in the vineyard, there’s a further challenge in the winery.
The low levels of phenolic compounds in the grape produce mostly lightly-colored, medium-bodied and low-tannin wines that can often go through phases of uneven and unpredictable aging [source].
So why do winemakers grow this difficult grape, putting their livings at stake when a mediocre harvest limits saleability?
Because when the factors work, the wines are splendid.
When young, the wines tend to have red fruit aromas of cherries, raspberries, and strawberries.
As the wine ages, it can develop more vegetal and “barnyard” aromas that make the wine more complex and a unique delight.
[8] You can see the distinct, tightly packed cylindrical shape of the Pinot clusters, approximating the pine cone shape that gave the grape its name. The characteristic dark purple to nearly black color signifies that the grapes have reached full ripeness (photo © Abynaya | Pexels).
Beyond red wine, Pinot Noir grapes are also used in regular and Blanc de Noir Champagne, in sparkling white wines such as the Italian Franciacorta, and in English sparkling wines.
Why Is A Red Wine Grape Used In White Wines?
The flesh of most wine grapes is white (the exception is teinturier grape*, whose flesh and juice are both red in color).
It’s only the skins that have different colors. So the juice pressed out of red grapes is the same color as juice pressed from white grapes. The difference is skin contact.
To make red and rosé wines, the pressed juice rests in a vat with the pressed skins, allowing the anthocyanins—antioxidant pigments present in the skins—to transfer their color to the juice.
As with any varietal, the wines will have different attributes based on both their terroir‡‡ and the stylistic preferences of the winemaker.
[9] A Pinot Noir vineyard at Three Feathers Estate in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, one of the world’s top Pinot-growing regions (photo © Three Feathers Estate).
THE HISTORY OF PINOT NOIR
The Pinot Noir grape may be only one or two generations removed from Vitis sylvestris, the original European wild grape.
Records date to before the first century C.E., when the Romans, invading the part of Gaul that is now the Burgundy region of France, noticed the Gallic tribes drinking wine made from a native, wild grape that we now call Pinot Noir.
The Romans delighted in the wine and cultivated the grape for more than 300 years during their occupation of the territory.
The vineyards subsequently came under the control of the nobility, and then the Benedictine monks of the Catholic Church. Because they believed that Pinot Noir grapes produced the best wine, Pinot Noir became the official wine used in the sacrament of Communion. That greatly expanded the wine’s visibility and popularity.
The Burgundy region was divided into church-owned vineyards and remained under the control of the monks until the French Revolution in 1789, when the vineyards were seized and distributed to local families.
But before that came a breakthrough in viticulture: The Benedictine monks, specifically the Cistercians who had branched off, were the first to realize that grapes grown in different areas produced different wines.
They came to the conclusion that not all vineyards were created equal, and that different grape varietals did better in different regions. This tenet that helped to create superior wines from then onward [source]. This subsequently led to the concept of terroir‡‡.
OTHER WINES NAMED PINOT
“Pinot” refers to a family of related grape varieties, both red and white, all with that tightly-packed pine cone-shaped clusters. The main varieties are (in alphabetical order):
Pinot Beurot, a traditional name for Pinot Gris, especially in Burgundy.,
Pinot Blanc, a white grape producing fresh, rounded, apple- and pear-flavored white wines.
Pinot Chardonnay, an old synonym once used for Chardonnay. The “Pinot” was dropped, and Chardonnay is not generally classified as a true Pinot variety today‡‡‡.
Pinot Grigio, the Italian name for Pinot Gris. Although the grape is the same, due to different terroir the wines are often lighter, drier, and more citrusy.
Pinot Gris, a grayish-skinned grape producing white wines that can range from crisp and mineral to rich and slightly honeyed.
Pinot Meunier, a dark-skinned red grape used heavily in Champagne blends. It contributes fruitiness, roundness, and approachability; it is also made into still wines.
Pinot Nero, Italian for Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir, a red grape producing light- to medium-bodied red wines with red-fruit, floral, earthy, and savory notes; also widely used in Champagne and other sparkling wines.
Pinotage, a South African red grape created by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault. As the offspring of a Pinot Nor parent, it’s a different variety.
|
THE MAJOR RED WINES OF THE U.S. & FRANCE
[10] A comparison of the different red wine varietals (chart © The Nibble).
________________
*The flesh is red due to anthocyanin pigments that are not just in the skin, but within the pulp of the grape berry itself. Here’s more about it and a list of wines made with teinturier grapes.
**Great cheese pairings: goat cheese, smoked cheese, semi-hard cheeses like Cheddar or Gouda, nutty cheeses like Gruyère, lighter blue cheeses, lighter washed rind cheeses like Taleggio, and sheep’s milk cheeses are all delicious with Pinot Noir.
†An American Viticultural Area, or AVA, is a type of appellation of origin used on wine labels. An AVA is a delimited grape-growing region with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown. Here’s more about it.
††Champagne has four main styles: Blanc de Noir, made from Pinot Noir grapes; Blanc de Blanc, made from Chardonnay grapes; Assemblage/Traditional Blend, a blend of both; and Rosé Champagne, typically made by blending Chardonnay with Pinot Noir (and/or Pinot Meunier) to create its pink color. The third principal grape in Champagne is Pinot Meunier, an optional blending grape in many Champagnes, including some rosés (but not permitted in a true Blanc de Blancs, which has only white grapes). Its proportion varies by cuvée—around 15%–20% in some examples—and it contributes fresh fruit, roundness, and approachability to the blend. Producers may adjust or omit it depending on the house style and the character of the vintage.
‡Currently, some wine writers are questioning this classification. Five of the noble grapes are French, and one, Riesling, is German, though it’s also grown in Alsace. The phrase “cépages nobles”) originated in France, and that hierarchies like the can be limited in perspective. Plus, the classification was created before these grapes were planted all over the world. The quality of the grapes grown elsewhere is often not the same as the quality of the same grapes grown in France’s best vineyards. Here’s more about it.
‡‡Terroir, pronounced tur-WAH, is a French agricultural term referring to the unique set of environmental factors in a specific habitat that affects a crop’s qualities. These include climate, elevation, proximity to a body of water, slant of the land, soil type, and amount of sun. These environmental characteristics give the wines produced from these grapes a unique character.
‡‡‡In France, Chardonnay was formally distinguished from Pinot Blanc in the late 19th century; the modern spelling “Chardonnay” was formally agreed in 1896. Yet “Pinot Chardonnay” remained in use for decades afterward. In the U.S., “Pinot Chardonnay” was still a normal label term in the 1930s through 1950s. By the 1960s and 1970s, as California Chardonnay plantings and consumer awareness expanded, Chardonnay increasingly became the standard standalone name.
CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.
|
|
