International Pinot Noir Day
August 18th is International Pinot Noir Day, and as an award-winning Pinot producer, we're more than happy to join the celebrations!
So today, let's explore this fabulous wine varietal so you can sip your next glass armed with some extra knowledge.
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What is Pinot Noir?
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most beloved red wines. It is dry in style (which means there's minimal levels of sugar remaining in the wine, usually under one gram of residual sugar per litre of wine), with soft tannins, and a medium to high acidity.
It is a lighter style wine than most other red wines, and the best examples of Pinot Noir are well-structured and often have a fruity, earthy, complex flavour profile.
This famous grape varietal is notoriously difficult to produce, and it grows best in cool climate wine regions (like New Zealand, Burgundy, Russian River in California, and Oregon). This is because the grape enjoys long, cooler growing and ripening seasons. Regions close to large bodies of water or in protected valleys like Marlborough, are prime for Pinot Noir vineyards.
Fun fact: Pinot Noir enjoys similar climates and conditions to Chardonnay, so you will often find these two wine varietals growing in the same region.
What does Pinot Noir taste like?
The primary characteristics of Pinot Noir are red fruit flavours like cherry, raspberry, and strawberry. Good examples will often feature earthy, complex characters too including mushroom aromas.
When aged in oak (we use French oak barrels for our Pinot Noir programme), Pinot Noir wines will boast lovely smoky notes of vanilla, and possibly even some spices like clove.
What foods pair best with Pinot Noir?
Pinot Noir is quite versatile when it comes to food matches. The classic pairing is Pinot Noir with a perfect roast chicken.
Being a lighter red wine, you can also pair your favourite Pinot with delicate red meats like venison or lamb, or even pork dishes. It's also a good match for nutty cheeses. For vegetarian options, you can try Pinot Noir with a mushroom risotto.
How do I store and serve Pinot Noir, and how long does it keep for?
Like all wines, Pinot Noir should be stored or cellared in a dark space with a fairly cool and consistent temperature. Depending on the quality of the wine, Pinot Noir can happily be cellared for 5 - 10 years and some even longer than that.
When it comes to service, some people will recommend 'room temperature' but as we all know, that vary significantly depending on the local climate. Feel free to slightly chill your Pinot Noir to get it to the desired temperature of 12 - 15 degrees (55 - 60 F). Some Pinot Noir wines, particularly older wines or those under cork, can benefit from being decanted (poured into a large glass vessel to allow it to 'breathe' and aerate.
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So, what Pinot Noir is your go-to? Share your top drops with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter today! Please get in touch if you would like help finding a local stockist of one of our Pinot Noir wines, and for trade inquiries please contact Mikela via mikela@tepawines.com.
