A Globetrotting Guide to the Best Pinot Noir to Drink Right Now

• By WineBottleMag
• March 19, 2025
• Drink GlobeTrotting Guide Noir Pinot
• With 0 comments

Descended from Vitis vinifera, Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned black grape that produces elegant and complex wines. It is notoriously difficult to farm, but its irresistible charm (and popularity) makes it an enticing challenge for vintners around the world. 

This is excellent news for the varietal’s wide legion of fans, who can sample just how expressive it can be depending on region of origin. While the spiritual home of Pinot Noir is Burgundy, regions like Oregon and Santa Barbara have cemented their reputations through the varietal.  

Some Pinot Noirs are sought after by collectors for its aging potential and it’s an excellent beginner grape for drinkers because of its softness, balance and light- to medium-bodied expression. (That is, if the higher price point these wines often command isn’t a turn off.) 

Meanwhile, it is a highly food-friendly wine that pairs well with everything from grilled vegetables and meat to seafood. 

So, pick up one of these bottles, hand-selected by our esteemed tasting panel from around the world and toast to one of the finest grapes there is. You can’t go wrong with any—or all—of them.

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Sonoma

Pinot Noir’s ascendancy over the past twenty years can be closely tied to the film Sideways, whose main character extolled the finicky grape’s virtues. Though it was filmed in the Santa Ynez Valley, down in Santa Barbara County, Pinot Noir production increased 170% throughout the entire state since the movie was released in 2005.

Sonoma County produces some of the best in California. These Pinots are often medium-bodied wines with bright acidity, fine-grained tannins and fresh red fruit. They have a silky texture and often aromas of baking spice.

Wine Enthusiast recommends: 

Mendocino

Of all the regions in the world, Mendocino County—which has a high elevation, fog-shrouded landscape and sun-drenched landscape—is one of the “optimum locations to produce expressive, captivating, cerebral and delicious renditions of Pinot Noir,” says Tonya Pitts, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews wines from the region (and beyond). Look for aromas of red fruit, earth and baking spice from this region’s AVAs.

“A wine lover has access to a megastore of hues, tastes and smells to awaken the senses about terroir, sense of place and what that means in connection to aromas, textures and vibrancy, which are all alive in a glass of Pinot Noir from the AVAs of Mendocino County,” Pitts says. 

Wine Enthusiast recommends:

Germany

In Germany, Pinot Noir is called Spätburgunder. There, the varietal “is quietly making its mark, thanks to a mix of unique terroirs and a climate that’s been kind to the grape,” says Aleks Zecevic, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews wines from Austria, Germany, France and beyond. He notes that bottles from this region are “carving out a place among the elite.”

“What really sets Germany apart, though, is its variety,” Zecevic says. “From the Ahr to Baden, Franken and Pfalz, these wines strike a balance between elegance, freshness and complexity, with the ability to age gracefully. Cooler regions like Nahe and Obermosel produce low-alcohol, ethereal Pinots that reveal a versatility you don’t often see—even in Burgundy.”

Wine Enthusiast recommends:

New Zealand

Overall, New Zealand is an excellent wine region thanks to its small producers who are experimenting with and perfecting the craft of winemaking. And this is very apparent in Pinot Noir. 

Christina Pickard, who reviews wines from the region for Wine Enthusiast, says that New Zealand Pinot Noir “has come leaps and bounds since its modern revival in the 1990s and frankly, wines from this variety have never been better, often offering outstanding quality and consistency for the price point.”

The expressions from here flex heady perfume and exuberant fruit. There are many regional differences within the country, too, expressing the Tūrangawaewae, the Māori concept of terroir.

“With Wairarapa—and, most famously, the Martinborough subregion—nipping at its heels, Central Otago is arguably the most renowned New Zealand Pinot region,” Pickard explains. “It’s also the southernmost wine growing region on the planet, and boasts the only continental climate for winegrowing in New Zealand. Quality-focused producers across Otago’s distinctly different six subregions produce Pinots that offer beautiful aromas of brambly berries, scrubby herbs and stoney nuances with structured but fine, textural tannins, balancing drink-now appeal with the capacity to age for many years.” 

While Marlborough grows most Pinot in New Zealand, “North Canterbury shines with this variety, too,” Pickard adds. “The boutique, biodynamic Pyramid Valley’s unique location in the chilly hills of the Waitaki subregion on limestone and clay soils gives its Pinots a distinctive elegance and savory element, and a prism-like quality, refracting light and layers of flavor, texture, acidity and tannins and then knitting them seamlessly back together again.”

Wine Enthusiast recommends: 

Burgundy

This Old World region isn’t resting on its laurels. “Pinot Noir from Burgundy is more exciting than ever, especially with the diverse vintages that produce a myriad of expressions across this complex region,” says Wine Enthusiast Tasting Director Anna-Christina Cabrales. “What stands out most is how producers have adapted to the dramatic fluctuations in weather, yet still manage to preserve the unique sense of terroir—an accomplishment that’s truly impressive.”

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Burgundy Pinots are highly fragrant, with notes of cherry. “The textural sensations, delicate florality and beautiful purity of fruit, along with the depth of flavor, are qualities that can’t be replicated anywhere else,” Cabrales adds.

Wine Enthusiast recommends: 

South America

South American Pinot Noirs—particularly from Chile and Argentina—are not to be missed. The finest examples from Chile and Argentina exhibit “a perfect harmony between freshness and ripeness, showcasing exceptional structure and sophistication,” says Jesica Vargas, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews wines from across the continent.

In Argentina, producers “have had wonderful results in the windy Patagonia and the high-altitude vineyards of the Uco Valley in Mendoza, where Pinot Noir develops a complex flavor profile,” Vargas says.

In Chile, producers have leaned on advanced vineyard management to enable the grape to thrive. “Producers benefit from the cool climate along the country’s extensive coastline, which is ideal for this delicate variety,” Vargas says. “Vibrant Pinot Noir wines are produced in regions such as Casablanca and Leyda Valley, as well as in areas farther south like specific vineyards in Itata. These regions receive a strong influence from the Humboldt Current, which brings cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean.”

Wine Enthusiast recommends: 

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Oregon

Over the past 50 years, Oregon has made its wine industry synonymous with outstanding Pinot Noir. To wit: the notoriety of “Oregon Pinot” serves as a model for regions finding a signature grape. Like the New World brethren of Burgundy, these wines are medium bodied, with deep notes of cherry and raspberry and hints of violet and cinnamon.

Wine Enthusiast recommends: 

Italy

While France may receive significant attention for its Pinot, its neighbor to the southeast deserves more recognition. With a high altitude, mountainous vineyards and ample sunshine, the Alto Adige region in Italy is prime Pinot territory. Its heat in summer and cool Alpine nights yield “rich, forward wines that maintain freshness, elegance and stoney minerality,” says Jeff Porter, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews wines from Northern Italy. “Alto Adige is a hidden gem for Pinot Noirs that will delight the palates of both Burg Hounds and Sonoma Sippers.”

The best bottles depend on the producer, more so than the region, however, unlike places like the Russian River Valley or Burgundy’s Vosne and Morey-St.Denis. Gump Hof, Pfitscher and Grawu are making Porter’s favorite bottles today.

Wine Enthusiast recommends: 

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More Pinot Noir Coverage

• The top-rated Pinot Noir bottles under $20.
• The most-popular Pinot Noirs and how we rated them.
• What makes Pinot Noir Pinot Noir? 
• The best Willamette Pinot Noir to drink right now.
• The state of Oregon Pinot Noir. 
• 10 Oregon Pinot Noirs for under $20.

The post A Globetrotting Guide to the Best Pinot Noir to Drink Right Now appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

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