11 Best Food Pairings That Can Go With Pinot Noir Wine

Pinot Noir is one of those wines that just seems to be right for any occasion. It’s great to drink on its own, it’s an amazing wine to use while cooking, and it’s a phenomenal drink to have while enjoying a meal or food.

However, that often brings up an interesting question that people planning a meal need to answer. Because Pinot Noir goes with pretty much any kind of food, narrowing it down to just a few options can be tricky, especially if you’re new to food and wine pairings.

Luckily, we’ve created this great list for you to follow for yourself.

Here, we’ll cover every kind of food pairing that you could want to match with Pinot Noir, from bite-sized appetizers and snacks to full meal ideas that match that distinct, strong flavor that Pinot Noir is known for.

Profile For Pinot Noir

Before start getting stuck into the exact foods that can work with a good Pinot Noir, it is helpful to know a little more about this type of wine. That way, you’ll not only have a little more knowledge of where this wine comes from, but the kinds of flavors it usually has 

What Is Pinot Noir?

This may feel a little redundant. After all, everyone knows what Pinot Noir is, right? A deep, dark-bodied type of red wine.

And that’s true, but there is so much more to this distinct type of wine than just being another red wine.

For starters, no red wine has quite the same light flavor and texture as Pinot Noir does, thanks to the specific kind of grapes that are used in its production.

Pinot Noir, as its French-origin name suggests, comes from France, specifically around the burgundy region of the country. Here, it has been grown in the region for centuries, if not millennia.

There are records of Pinot Noir being grown in and around Burgundy since potentially the Roman period!

Where Pinot Noir Grows

While Burgundy might be the original home of Pinot Noir, it is now grown across the world. Quite a feat, considering that it is also one of the most difficult wine grapes to grow!

Each region that Pinot Noir is grown in has a slightly different character, thanks to the soil and environment it is exposed to having different characteristics. Each region has its flavor that is worth checking out.

Burgundy, France

Of course, given that it is the original palace where Pinot Noir was grown, it’s no surprise that the wine grown in Burgundy is some of the best out there.

Arguably considered the classic variety of Pinot Noir, the wine is known for its fruity undertones and is the benchmark that every other variety of Pinot Noir is compared to in some way.

Oregon, United States

With its temperate climate, Oregon state is perfect for wineries on the West Coast to grow a ton of different grape vines for winemaking. One of them happens to be Pinot Noir!

Oregon’s varieties of Pinot Noir tend to be very similar to Burgundy Pinot Noir, with perhaps a slightly more aromatic character to it.

Russian River, California, United States

Russian River is a renowned corner of California when it comes to wineries, and Pinot Noir is no exception. The varieties grown here have a much bolder character than the older types that you’ll find out there.

Central Otago, New Zealand

The wineries across New Zealand have been growing in popularity over the past few decades, thanks to the refined winemaking process over there, and the perfect climate for growing a variety of different wine grapes.

The density of the fruit in New Zealand varieties is pretty high, making it a very sweet flavored red wine, and has a smooth, silky texture to it in the mouth, A very nice variety, for sure!

Champagne, France

Not only can Pinot Noir be grown in the Champagne region of France, but Pinot Noir grapes are a core ingredient for making champagne too!

While champagne is not the same as Pinot Noir, this does mean that some dedicated Pinot Noir varieties and wineries have cropped up, with very classic takes on the old flavor and formula.

Flavor Profile

As we’ve already mentioned, Pinot Noir is probably best known for its fruity flavor that is shared with other red wine varieties, as well as a much tangier and light flavor to it than other red wines.

This is due to the distinct climate that these grapes thrive in, and the different textures and makeup of the grapes themselves. The cooler climates that this grape favors are also why it’s a difficult grape for many wineries to grow.

Too warm, and the red wine grapes don’t have the right flavor, aroma, or texture. Too cold, however, and they don’t grow right at all!

Another thing that Pinot Noir wine is known for is its earthy aroma and flavor. This deep complex flavor brings out hints of many other flavors that you might associate with the earth, such as barnyard, and old aged wood if you’re absorbing the aroma.

If you’re tasting it, expect to find hints of sweeter herbs and fruits, such as raspberry, mushrooms, and even vanilla!

It’s distinct from other red wines in this case, having an almost savory kind of sweetness. It’s a palate that can go with either flavor type, which is probably why it is so popular with food!

Food Pairings For Pinot Noir

So, with all that background information out of the way, we can now start to cover our favorite foods that go with this amazing wine!

Snacks Paired With Pinot Noir

If you’re looking to host a party where snacks are going to be a big part of it, you’re going to need the right foods to pair well with a good Pinto Noir. These are our picks.

Cheese And Crackers

A staple snack of almost any kind of gathering, cheese, and crackers are going to be a given at any party. And luckily enough, they’re also a very good food to pair with many wines too, including Pinot Noir.

Crackers make a perfect snack, thanks to their mellow, lightly salted flavor, even when they are paired with a stronger-tasting food. That simple flavor makes them perfect to pair with the more complex and deep layers of taste that you’ll find in Pinot Noir.

Those fruity and earthy undertones are only enhanced by a good salty cracker!

Cheese is an incredibly versatile food and ingredient that we’ll no doubt come back to in this guide. But here, it makes for the perfect bite-sized food to enjoy with your deep red wine.

If you have the option, try and pair this with a mature Gouda or cheddar, for a nice balance of flavor, while not being too overpowering against the Pinto Noir.

Garlic Bread

Who doesn’t love a good garlic bread recipe? Whether it’s a snack, an appetizer, or even a main course, garlic bread never fails to please food fans.

So, of course, we’d be curious to see if it goes with a good Pinot Noir glass too. To know one’s surprise, it tastes great!

For our money, the best garlic bread always has a little cheese melted onto it. A pungent cheddar makes for an excellent blend with the strong, fruity flavor of Pinot Noir.

Plus, the lighter flavor of Pinot Noir allows the more acid-like garlic flavor to stand out on your taste buds!

Pizza Bagels

Pizza bagels are up there as some of the best snacks to have at a party. They’re certainly some of the most moreish, that’s for sure!

If you’re looking to enjoy your favorite Pinot Noir with something pizza-like, but don’t want to have to cook an entire pizza to go with them (not everyone can finish a pizza on their own, after all!), then pizza bagels are the perfect snack to chow down with your red wine of choice.

The cheesy goodness is best when eaten fresh out of the oven!

Appetizers Paired With Pinot Noir

Whether you’re eating appetizers as a first course to a meal, or are looking for some snacks that have a little something extra to them, these foods are perfect for serving alongside a cool glass of Pinot Noir.

Charcuterie

A charcuterie board is a staple appetizer for many types of meals. After all, who can resist a board perfectly tailored and prepared continental meat selection?

Because charcuterie bards are so versatile, it’s hard to say which variety of foods is the definitive perfect choice for a Pinto Noir wine.

However, for our money, a good one will include at least some chorizo, smoked ham, pate, salami, and prosciutto. These meats have strong flavors to them to match the fruitiness of a good Pinot Noir blend.

Stuffed Mushrooms

A classic appetizer dish, stuffed mushrooms have that same or similar earthy flavor and texture to them that you’ll find in Pinot Noir, making them a perfect fit for each other.

The only question is: What to stuff them with? While a cooked mushroom, slathered in garlic butter, is a tempting offer on its own, a good strong cheese will also be the perfect food to stuff inside a cooked mushroom, especially something like Romano cheese.

Stuffed Red Pepper

In the same way that stuffed mushrooms are a popular appetizer, rec peppers are increasingly becoming a popular vegetable for stuffing, whether that’s for a classy 3-course meal, or cooked for a grill out!

The crunchy sweet and slightly bitter flavor of the pepper can be mellowed a little by cooking it, turning it into something that can blend worth plenty of other flavors, including Pinot Noir, where the wine’s earthy flavors complement that little bit of bitterness left in them.

If you’re trying to choose a filling for your stuffed pepper, we would recommend couscous, for a light, neutral flavor to go with this strong-tasting wine variety, or hummus, for a much stronger, herbal flavor to match the strength of Pinot Noir.

Meals Paired With Pinot Noir

Of course, with it being such a popular wine, Pinot Noir is going to be at many a dinner table.

So, what sort of main meal goes with Pinot Noir?

Pizza

Like garlic bread, you can’t go wrong with a good pizza meal. It’s one of the most popular meals in the world, for crying out loud! However, there are also a ton of different kinds of pizza out there that have been made over the years.

That makes it hard to narrow down a particular kind of pizza.

We would recommend sticking to a classic Italian thin base, as well as any of the more exotic flavor bases. So if you were planning on a barbecue or teriyaki sauce base for your pizza tonight, you may want to save that Pinot Noir bottle you have for another time!

While any kind of pizza is amazing with a glass of Pinot Noir, we do particularly like soft cheese and mushroom pizza.

The earthy flavors of the mushroom pair perfectly with those same flavors that hide in a deep Pinot Noir, and the soft cheese, such as mascarpone, is the perfect light cheese to go against the more vivid flavor of this kind of red wine.

Sandwiches

Sandwiches fall into a similar flavor category to pizza. There’s such a massive variety out there, that simply trying to narrow it down 

Meat Dishes Paired With Pinot Noir

Being such an important element to so many other meals and foods, finding the best way to prepare meat is essential for enjoying a

Chicken & Poultry Dishes

Chicken is a relatively neutral-tasting meat that makes it perfect for any dish, including Pinto Noir, so you’ve got a ton of options available to you when it comes to food.

Our personal favorite is either a good butterfly chicken with a creamy sauce, for a nice, simple flavor, or something like a chicken and miso soup/ramen dish, for bolder flavor combinations to match the Pinot Noir flavor that we know and love.

Pork Dishes

Another staple meat of many recipes, Pork is a neutral type of meat that goes with Pinot Noir in many recipes. We recommend a good ham recipe, personally!

Rabbit Dishes

Unlay both pork and chicken, the rabbit has a distinct flavor to it that needs the right recipe to bring out its best qualities.

A recipe that cooks rabbits with tons of good herbs and vegetables, such as onions and sage, is our recommendation, to help make its bold flavor work well with Pinot Noir.

Final Notes

So, with all those ideas, you’ve got your hand’s full picking just one food to have with your next bottle of pristine Pinot Noir!

However, we can promise that all of these are phenomenal, and will not disappoint!

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