Pinot Noir is called the heartbreak grape because it is so difficult to grow. For all this difficulty, Pinot Noir can be a truly great wine. It is a fantastic food wine. Not only does it pair with a wide variety of foods but its flavor and the flavor of the food play off each other to create a wonderful taste experience. While Pinot Noir may be more expensive, it is the go to wine to pair with a great meal.
Choosing Pinot Noir for Wine Tasting
Because Pinot Noir can be such a picky grape to grow, it can sometimes be difficult to get a great wine. This makes choosing a good bottle all that much more difficult. When choosing wines for your wine club ask your wine retailer for suggestions. Remember, asking questions is not a sign of ignorance but shows you know enough to ask the right questions. When it comes to Pinot Noir, asking questions is a good thing.
Regions to try in your wine tasting include Oregon, California, New York, Australia and New Zealand. Try to get a bottle from each of these areas. Also, try both the low end and high end of the price spectrum. You may be surprised to find you like a $10 Pinot as well as, if not better than, the $30 bottle.
As always, in France wines are listed by region. When looking for a Pinot Noir from here, look for a bottle from Burgundy which will be labeled. “Bourgogne”. Again, ask your wine retailer for recommendations. You will find these wines to be more expensive than the other regions but it’s worth having to compare both the price and region against the others to find out if you think it’s worth the price.
Food Pairings for Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir loves food! This is one of the easiest wines to pair as it goes with such a great variety of food. Generally, wine goes best with the food of the region the wine is from and Pinot Noir is no exception. It is used in beef bourguignon and coq au vin. When paired with these dishes, Pinot really shines. Avoid citrus fruits and vinegar as well as tomato sauces.
- Appetizers/side dishes: vegetables, creamy dips and sauces, mushrooms, nuts, edam, feta or Monterey jack cheeses.
- Main dish: roast beef, lamb, duck, salmon, swordfish, turkey and pasta with alfredo and white sauces.
- Desserts: Savory desserts including pumpkin, red berries or cranberries. Use Pinot Noir in sauces.
Pinot Noir pairs very well with most traditional Thanksgiving food. Use the list above to create your own menu or check allrecipes.com and pinotnow.com for specific recipes.
Tasting Pinot Noir
Serve Pinot Noir cooler than you would other red wines. Aim for about 60 degrees. If the wine is stored at room temperature, put the wine in the fridge 20 minutes before you plan to serve it. A regular refrigerator is typically too cold to store a red, but if you choose to store it there, take it out about 30 minutes before serving.
Pinot Noir is truly an earthy wine. In fact, the first aroma you may notice upon opening a bottle might be a somewhat unpleasant smell, not unlike a farm. As with Sauvignon Blanc, let the wine breathe for a couple of minutes to open up the wine to its other aromas. Once the wine has had a chance to breathe you may notice more pleasant aromas such as roses or lilacs, rosemary and other herbs, red berries, vanilla, mushrooms or smoke.
Pinot Noir will be more fruit forward in bottles from the US, with red berry, plum and cranberry flavors. Wines from France will have similar fruit flavors but also have earthy flavors such as mineral, smoke and tobacco. Notice how Pinot Noir pairs with the food you have chosen and how both wine and food are enhanced by each other.
While choosing a good bottle of Pinot Noir can be difficult and sometimes more expensive, it’s ease in pairing with food makes this red wine a must-have. After trying this wine with a variety of dishes, chances are, you’ll agree.
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