Looking for a red wine that’s a perfect pairing partner for a wide range of foods? Then reach for Pinot Noir. It’s a light-bodied red wine with mouthwatering acidity, plus fruity and earthy flavors to complement everything from turkey and dark chicken to more decadent flavors of pork and salmon. Suave and smooth Pinot Noir is the queen when it comes to food pairing. If you're wondering what to eat with Pinot Noir, keep reading this article to find pairing suggestions and tips.
Pinot Noir origins
The Pinot Noir grape was first cultivated in Burgundy, France, and some of the most spectacular and coveted wines in the world are red Burgundies. A good Burgundy is silky, relatively low in alcohol, and brimming with tart red fruit like cherries, strawberries, raspberries, and plums, with notes of roses, bacon, and mushrooms.
While Pinot Noir is grown all over the world, it thrives in cooler growing regions. It’s a delicate grape that prefers coastal climates where the grapes ripen slowly during daytime sun and cool down with evening fog, developing complex flavors.
Oregon’s Willamette Valley has growing conditions that are most similar to those in Burgundy. Oregon Pinot Noirs are usually elegant and light, with beautiful acidity and notes of red raspberry, strawberry, roses, and sometimes mushrooms and forest floor.
California, on the whole, is sunnier than the Willamette Valley and Burgundy, so the wines have more fruit and alcohol. California Pinot Noirs range from the bright and lean wines from the Central Coast to bigger wines with black plums, cherry pie, figs, violets, and sometimes meaty notes from Sonoma.
New Zealand Pinot Noirs are bold but smooth with red fruits, dark plums, and chocolate accents.
Try these Pinot Noir wine and food pairings
1. Roast turkey
Whether you prefer light or dark turkey meat, they’re equally delicious with Pinot Noir. Pinot’s tangy berry notes are just like adding a bite of cranberry sauce. Try a French Burgundy with classic roast turkey for a cross-cultural pairing, or pair a bolder California Pinot with a smoked or deep-fried turkey. This pairing works for similar meats, including chicken, duck, and goose.
2. Barbecue pork ribs
Pinot Noir is excellent with pork since the wine’s acidity balances the rich meat. You’ll love a New World Pinot Noir from California, Oregon, or Australia with juicy, slightly smoky, and rich barbecue pork ribs. (And sparkling wines made from Pinot Noir are just as delicious.)
3. Mushroom anything
Pinot Noir complements mushroom dishes in two ways. The wine’s bright fruit flavors lift the earthy flavors in mushrooms. And as Oregon Pinot Noirs age, they develop mushroom notes that will enhance the natural flavors in fungi, whether you’re eating porcinis, morels, portobellos, or truffles.
4. Pepperoni pizza
Elegant Pinot Noir is a perfect partner for pepperoni pizza. The tangy-sweet tomato sauce and salty pepperoni bring out the fruity plum and berry notes in the wine. At the same time, Pinot’s acidity helps tame the richness of the greasy pepperoni and cheese. Pinot Noir is tasty with all kinds of charcuterie and cured meats.
5. Salmon anything
Salmon’s bold flavors can clash with red wines that have firm tannins. But silky Pinot Noir shines with all kinds of salmon. Smoked salmon is excellent with earthy Pinot from Oregon or Burgundy, while meaty grilled salmon shines with fruitier wines from New Zealand or California.
6. Beet salad with goat cheese
Roasted beets have a deep and earthy sweetness that sings with Pinot Noir. Look for a warm climate Pinot Noir with dark fruit flavors of plum, cherry, and spice. In this salad, the beets bring out the brightness in an Oregon Pinot Noir, while the goat cheese accents the wine’s fruit notes.
7. Lamb chops
New Zealand is famous for excellent lamb and Pinot Noir, and there couldn’t be a better pairing. The tender, succulent lamb meat is balanced by the Pinot’s acidity and red fruit and plum flavors. Remember, if it grows together, it goes together.
8. Brie, Gouda, and Manchego cheeses
You’ve got lots of options when it comes to pairing Pinot Noir with cheese — great acidity, fruity notes, and earthiness are delicious with salty cheese. Pair a more delicate Pinot Noir with baked Brie or Camembert. Bolder Pinots are excellent with goat Gouda, funky sheep cheeses like Manchego, or Rogue River blue cheese from Oregon. Add dried strawberries, tart cherries, and cranberries to take your Pinot Noir cheese board to the next level.
If you’d like to learn more about the Pinot Noir grape, where it grows worldwide, and what makes it such a popular wine, then check out our Pinot Noir wine guide.
