It is one of the most famous wines in the world, once associated with the French region of Burgundy, but now spread internationally in a huge range of variants. But it is not only this that makes Pinot Noir a varied and versatile product: what characterises it is a delicate bouquet, moderate tannins and a slight underlying acidity that goes well with both summer and winter meals - you just have to find the right label!
Here is a guide to Pinot Noir and its gastronomic pairings, a perfect wine for every season!
A versatile wine for the whole year round? Thanks to its organoleptic notes!
The best adjective to describe Pinot Noir wine is versatile, given its innate ability to adapt to different contexts and various menus. However, one would risk creating misunderstandings by presenting a product with a pale personality, almost pandering to its malleability.
However, this is not the case: what wine lovers are confronted with during a tasting is a multifaceted and chameleon-like wine, which appeals for its fruity and drinkable identity, but also for its ability to become an excellent companion for both warm and cooler seasons. In fact, it can be found on the market in a wide range of varieties, from the youngest and lightest to the most aged, full-bodied and intense.
It is often said that red wines are not very suitable for the summer: firstly, their organoleptic notes are compromised by refrigeration, while many of these examples - the fuller-bodied ones with more pronounced tannins - are not sufficiently refreshing to the palate when consumed during the hot season.
The Pinot Noir is one of the exceptions to the rule: characterised by a rather delicate organoleptic profile and unobtrusive tannins on the palate, it also has a touch of acidity that livens things up. The aromas then create sensory suggestions perfect for spring and summer, including notes of raspberry, cherry, strawberry, blackberry and currant, with some hints of violet and rose. It is especially the young bottles served chilled (13°-16°C) that guarantee this lightness, accompanying a wide variety of summer dishes.
However, this wine can also be drunk in autumn and winter, thanks to its warmer nuances. Particularly when subjected to a period of ageing or refining in wood, Pinot Noir takes on particular organoleptic notes that are earthy, vanilla, woody or spicy, or even aromas reminiscent of mushrooms, notes that require a higher serving temperature (around 18°C) and that go well with greasy, full-bodied meat dishes, whose fattiness can be deflated by the acidic tones.
How to pair Pinot Noir with cold-weather dishes
With such a variety of characteristics, it is difficult to consider Pinot Noir as a single wine, when rather to consider it as a sort of extended group, with members with a more biting character and others more tame.
Here is a selection of those suitable for a winter accompaniment!
Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune Rouge 2021
The journey of discovery of one of the most suitable Pinot Noirs for the autumn and winter season begins in its native Burgundy, where it was established during the Gallic occupation. The Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune Rouge 2021, with its intense and warm aromas, is well suited for consumption during the colder months.
It is difficult not to be captivated by the organoleptic bouquet of this wine - produced in the Côte d'Or area - matured thanks to the special conditions of the terroir and the careful vinification. The cool temperatures and exposure to breezes (as well as the 12 months of ageing in oak) have given the product an extraordinary elegance, which is expressed in the notes of strawberries, raspberries and berries, with vinous and spicy touches.
On the palate, it is slightly tannic, persistent and harmonious, ideal as an accompaniment to meat menus of various kinds. You can try it for example with a grilled beef steak, a full-bodied hamburger, game recipes, but also typical winter dishes such as stews, meat pies or roasts with potatoes and vegetables. Serve at an ideal temperature of 18°C.
'Maxima' Pinot Nero Piemonte DOC 2015
Among the best Pinots to be paired with winter menus is the 'Maxima' Pinot Nero Piemonte DOC 2015, produced in an area of excellence in Italian oenology, Piedmont, already renowned for its Barolo.
This example can be uncorked after a good period of ageing. The maturation - carried out in barrels for 18 months and then in the bottle - is reflected in every trait of its personality, from the elegant ruby red hue to the fruity and floral bouquet that focuses on notes of black cherry, currant and violet. The same intensity is perceived on the palate, with a structured and moderately tannic, mineral, fresh and pleasantly complex taste.
The best pairings between food and Pinot Noir wine in this case are still those involving meat recipes: it is at its best when served at a temperature of around 18°C, together with mushroom soups, a meatloaf crust with potatoes, a delicious full-bodied cottage pie, sausage casserole or a generous portion of toad in the hole: in short, anything that can warm the stomach in winter.
The best Pinot Noir wines for summer
Those who do not want to miss out on the pleasure of drinking a good, light red wine during the spring or summer seasons - when temperatures start to rise - can count on a glass of Pinot Noir to find just what they are looking for: gentle fruity scents, a fresh taste and a slight acidity that livens up the tasting experience!
"Pounamu" Special Selection Pinot Noir 2022
This journey in search of the best red wine for summer dishes begins with a product from New Zealand, where Pinot Noir has found excellent soil in recent times (only in the 19th century), which hosts it together with another widely cultivated grape variety: Shiraz.
For a departure from the more classic French or Italian Pinots, one can count on a bottle of 'Pounamu' Special Selection Pinot Noir 2022, an ideal wine for the warmer seasons, thanks to its ideal serving temperature of 16°C or slightly less.
Perfect with grilled fish or fish and chips aperitifs, shrimp skewers, shrimp cocktails, fried seafood, octopus salads - it owes its adaptability to its excellent aromatic characteristics.
The nose is lost in the delicate notes of red fruits, cherries, violets enriched by a vegetal hint and a light spicy touch. The taste gives freshness to the palate, thanks to a moderate level of tannins and good drinkability.
Bishop's Leap' Pinot Noir 2020
Last - but not least - among the Pinot Noirs for every season, is the Bishop's Leap' Pinot Noir 2020, another great New Zealand product that loves to be uncorked even when the days are sunny and the temperatures start to rise.
As elegant in tone (an enchanting garnet red) as it is in its organoleptic scents, this wine conquers the nose with an aromatic charge of cherries and raspberries, with a distinctive undertone of dried herbs. The fruity identity is the trait that is also repeated on the palate, thanks to a taste of raspberries and cherries enriched by a pleasant acidic nuance.
The best pairings between this Pinot Noir and food still include meat dishes, from classic roasts of chicken or pork to game recipes, but a special feature that makes it suitable for summer lunches in the garden or open-air picnics is its ability to marry perfectly with vegetable pies, served at a temperature of 16°C maximum. Spinach and feta, leeks and potatoes, artichokes and cheese... the choice is almost endless!
The best Pinot Noirs for summer and winter? Find them by exploring the Svinando catalogue!