Pinot Noir: taste, styles and the dishes that match
54 styles and 556 dish scores from our sommelier database
From easy weekday bottle to cellar-worthy wine: Pinot Noir has many faces. We unpack the taste profile with Wine DNA axes and show the dishes where this red grape demonstrably scores — starting with Oysters.
Taste profile (Wine DNA)
Averaged across the styles in our database, Pinot Noir shows pronounced freshness, is medium-bodied and exuberantly fruity, with barely any tannin.
Well-known Pinot Noir styles
- Sparkling Pinot Noir · New World — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness
Intens roodfruitige mousserende rode wijn uit de Nieuwe Wereld van de gelijknamige druivensoort. - Pinot Noir · Central Europe — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness, firm tannins, generous oak ageing
Een vrij lichte wijn van de gelijknamige druif met duidelijke rood-fruittonen en proefbare houtopvoeding. - Spätburgunder BA · Germany — full-bodied, pronounced freshness, off-dry to sweet
Zoete rode wijnen van de spätburgunder druif en vergelijbare soorten. - Spätburgunder Germany sweet · Germany — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness, soft tannins, subtle oak notes, off-dry to sweet
Zoete rode wijn van de gelijknamige druivensoort en veelal uit Duitsland. - Pinot Noir · New Zealand — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins, generous oak ageing
Bijna explosief roodfruitige pinot noir uit Nieuw-Zeeland, fors in alcohol (14%) met flink body, veel fruit en heel zachte tannines. - Pinot Noir d'Alsace · Alsace — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
Light bodied, often slightly green red wine from Alsace from the grape variety by the same name. - Pinot Noir Yonne & Loire · France — light-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins
Yonne, Loire, Bouzy, Côteaux Champenois en Meuse. - Pinot Noir Central · Central Italy — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
Ripe and red fruity red wines from central Italy from the grape variety by the same name, with Tuscany producing quality with serious pretense, often lavishly oak aged.
Price-wise Pinot Noir covers the full range: of the 54 styles in our database, 30% sit in the entry segment, 50% mid-range and 20% at the top end. You will find both a weekday bottle and a cellar-worthy wine in this grape.
The best-scoring dishes with Pinot Noir
The dishes below come from our expert scoring: every combination was scored by sommeliers using the Wine DNA of both dish and wine. These are the strongest matches for Pinot Noir styles, from classic to surprising.
- Oysters — best style: Champagne Brut NV
- Oyster creuse — best style: Champagne Brut NV
- Melon, Champagne sabayon — best style: Champagne Demi-sec NV
- Boiled penne — best style: Barbera Piemonte
- Fried quorn — best style: Barbera Piemonte
- Macaroni Bolognese — best style: Barbera Piemonte
- Spaghetti Bolognese — best style: Barbera Piemonte
- Pizza Quattro Stagioni — best style: Barbera Piemonte
- Roasted roe deer rolled venison with game gravy — best style: Clos Vougeot and Corton
- Pan-Seared Tournedos with Béarnaise — best style: Chambertin
- Roe Deer Fillet with Red Wine Sauce — best style: Chambertin
- Fried tournedos — best style: Chambertin
Want to know if a specific bottle of Pinot Noir matches your dish? Scan the label in the SommelierX app and see the match instantly.
Open the app →Frequently asked questions
- What does Pinot Noir taste like?
- Averaged across the styles in our database, Pinot Noir shows pronounced freshness, is medium-bodied and exuberantly fruity, with barely any tannin. It varies by style: see the overview above.
- What food goes with Pinot Noir?
- The highest scores in our sommelier work: Oysters, Oyster creuse, Melon, Champagne sabayon. The full list is above.
- Is Pinot Noir a red wine?
- In our database Pinot Noir is mostly made as a red wine (54 linked styles); regional exceptions exist.