Pinot Noir

Guide Note

Pinot noir is a variety of French grape and the wine produced from it. Pinot noir grapes can be grown anywhere, though the most famous varieties originated in the eastern French region of Burgundy, the location with which the wine is primarily associated.

Fast Facts

1. Literally "Black pine" in French
2. Grape contains about 30,000 genes
3. Frequently served alongside pasta
4. Cultivated in the Burgundy region of France since the 1st century

Pinot noir is a full-bodied wine, often described as having a strawberry or black cherry smell. Though it does have a strong alcohol content, the wine is considered smooth and not too acidic.

Professional Friends of Wine recommends drinking pinot noir between five and eight years past the vintage. They recommend drinking the wine with salmon, mushrooms or a hearty meat.

Though Burgundy holds the distinction of the world's most famous noir, the grape has thrived elsewhere in Europe and the world. Pinot Noir is the most widely planted red grape in Germany and the wines produced there have historically been paler than the noir found in France.

California is America's largest producer of pinot noir, with Sonoma County and the Russian River Valley among the most copious vineyards.