The Essential Guide to Pinot Noir

The term “Pinot Noir” describes both a grape and the single-varietal wine produced from that grape. Its name comes from the French words for “pine” and “black,” a reference to the pine-cone shape of its clusters on the vine and the color of the grapes.

These grapes make one of the world’s most popular red wines. This already low-yielding varietal is also notoriously difficult to grow. Its sensitivity to sun damage, pests, and moisture have earned it the nickname “the heartbreak grape.” But, when grown and made with care, Pinot Noir produces wines of elegance, complexity, and longevity that have wine lovers around the world clamoring for more.

“Pinot Noir, relative to most varietals, are thin-skinned and less tannic,” says Wine Enthusiast Tasting Director Anna-Christina Cabrales. “But it can produce a range of styles depending on where it grows: it’s pretty amazing how in the New World, winemakers are able to produce expressions that you’d think are Old World. It’s exciting to witness so much talent as winemakers everywhere figure out how to adjust to challenging weather conditions.”

Its finicky nature and ability to express its growing region is why Pinot Noir has become one of the world’s most coveted grape varieties, beloved by both winemakers and drinkers.

A harvester collectsPinot Noir grapes during the harvest. Photo by FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP via Getty Images

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From Burgundy to the World

One of France’s oldest grapes, the Vitis vinifera varietal was cultivated more than a century ago by the Cistercian monks in Burgundy. While the origins of this ancient grape are not entirely known, the region has long been considered the spiritual home of Pinot Noir, where it produces some of the best single-varietal wines in the world.

Today, collectors prize Pinot Noir for its finesse and ageworthiness, especially from the most famous vineyards in its homeland. Due to its popularity and difficulty to grow, these bottles can be very expensive.

As the wines of Burgundy rose in fame and price, winemakers around the world sought to emulate the region’s success. This led to plantings of Pinot Noir throughout other parts of Europe and the New World.

“Pinot Noir is very reflective of its terroir, perhaps more so than any other red grape,” says Tom Capo, a Wine Enthusiast writer at large who reviews wines from Sonoma and other parts of the U.S. “This means that the unique soil and weather profile of the area in which it’s grown can really leave a stamp on the final wine that ends up in the bottle.”

While it’s grown across the world, Pinot Noir does better in cooler climates, as its trademark acidity, delicacy, and finesse can disappear in warmer climates and hot weather.

“Pinot Noir thrives in cooler climates, so extended hang time allows the flavors to develop gradually,” says Capo. “Wines from very cool growing zones like Burgundy exhibit classic earthy flavors like mushrooms and forest floor, flowers like roses, and fruits like cranberry or dark cherry. These are generally pretty pale in color (comparatively) and possess vivacious acidity. Wines from warmer regions might display more robust fruit character, with flavors like concentrated raspberry, cherry, or pomegranate, and darker aromatic notes, like cola spice or cedar, as well as a more plush texture and tannic structure.”

Because of its widespread popularity, Pinot Noir is considered an “international” variety. Today, the countries that produce the finest Pinot Noir are France, New Zealand, Australia, the United States (California, Oregon, and New York), Chile, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.

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Each area offers versions that are wholly unique to the region regardless of how close the geographic proximity and climate may be.

For example, German Pinot Noirs tend to boast “pure fruit and naturally high acidity” these days, says Wine Enthusiast Writer-at-Large Aleks Zecevich. Meanwhile, he adds the “Austrian Pinots that I admire usually show a bit more fruit and, for lack of a better word, oomph.”

Typically, Pinot Noir is dry and light- to medium-bodied, with bright acidity, silky tannins, and alcohol that ranges between 12 to 15%. Pinot Noir from cooler regions, like France and Germany, often has 12 to 13.5% alcohol by volume (abv) but can range from 13.5 to 15% when grown in warmer climates like California and Australia.

Some producers age their wines in 100% new French oak which creates a fuller, more textured wine. However, Capo says, “Pinot Noir generally shows better with a more modest amount of oak, so those rich barrel flavors seldom dominate the wine in the end.”

Just delivered new Oak wood, stacked wine barrels at a winery in Burgundy. Wine Enthusiast

How to Serve Pinot Noir

These generally lighter-bodied, higher acid wines are ideal companions for food. “Pinot is one of the most versatile wines—working with everything from vegetables to fish to steak,” says Zecevich. “But my favorite pairing will always be with roast chicken and vegetables.”

As he says, it is a perfect partner to white meats like poultry and pork, in addition to lighter red meats like duck and lamb.

Fuller-flavored fish like salmon, trout, and mackerel go well with Pinot, or as does seafood cooked in bolder preparations such as soy or miso glazes.

Earthy vegetables and herbs like mushrooms and thyme match the wine’s savory flavors, especially when folded into risotto and pasta.

Demiglas sauce is poured on baked duck with a glass of Pinot Noir. Stocksy

Because there is such a wide breadth of Pinots available now, it’s hard to find a dish that won’t pair well with one. However, you may want to avoid foods that are dense and richly flavored, as they may overpower the delicacy of the wine.

Pinot Noir has an ideal serving temperature range of 55 to 65°F. Most professionals would advise serving lighter versions close to 55°F, and fuller-bodied Pinots closer to 65°F.

If you don’t finish a bottle of Pinot Noir, replace the cork and stick it back in the refrigerator. The flavors will likely stay fresh for one to three days. Beyond that, the wine will start to oxidize.