Pinot Noir is the perfect option for Thanksgiving dinner although it is often the most underrated wine.

Cranberry sauce, stuffing, buttery vegetables, turkey, lamb, or ham all pair well with Pinot Noir. A nice glass of Pinot can complement all the fixings and will be a nice balanced wine. 

We’ve learned Pinot Noir is best before, during, or after any dinner. Also, it doesn't decimate my taste buds with strong tannins and cut my wine drinking short, which should be enough reason, right?

With its primary origin in Burgundy, France (not to mention being the oldest of grapes), I’ve learned Pinot Noir grapes soon mutated into white grapes. Over the centuries, in nearby regions, Italy created Pinot Grigio, while Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc were being made in France. And although they’ve all stemmed from the same grape, they don’t compare with Pinot Noir. We hardly drink any wine made from white Pinot.

Regardless, Pinot Noir grapes were initially harvested by the monks for religious purposes, which explains why it must have started as an easy-drinking choice for wine.

I’ve read how Pinot Noir is suggested for beginners but on the contrary, beginners need to have reviewed their Cliff Notes before trying Pinot Noir for the first time.

Although it’s light and often compared to white wines, it’s hard to nail down what is going on with its complex flavors. (Is that cherry? Wait, I think it’s cranberry…or is that chocolate?)

However, it wasn’t until Pinot Noir was mentioned in the movie Sideways in 2004 that sales grew by 160% when it was hard for winemakers to sell Pinot Noir. According to a wine pourer at this winery who was pouring us our tasting, the Pinot Noir vines were being dug up to be replaced when, all of a sudden, Pinot Noir started selling like crazy after it was emphasized in the movie. So, the wineries started replanting Pinot Noir grapes.

Here are five reasons why we love Pinot Noir:

1. Amazing Sidekick! 

It pairs well with my favorite dishes, although I get how some people don’t like lamb, fish, duck, stinky cheese, or funghi like morels.

However, we like all these kinds of “funky” delicacies, and there is no other wine that pairs better than a good solid Pinot Noir.

The aromatic flavors of cranberries, cherries, and raspberries with a smoky finish are clean and straightforward — the best way to keep me enjoying my wine.

When aged, it becomes linear and dry like caramel silk that flows straight through the back of my throat, but not before high-fiving my taste buds without annihilating them. It’s pure pleasure, my friends. 

However, to find a Pinot Noir like this with a touch of earthiness takes me back to a barn and into the country. The art of a great wine like this makes me want to be bathed in it from start to finish.

I hate to admit it, but I’ve found this earthiness mostly in French wines, but Sonoma wines are making headway in this style. 

2. It’s Finicky

The way it’s described suits me. It’s demanding, delicate, and luxurious, just like me. Sometimes, I want to drink wine; other times, I don’t. I want a cocktail. Or I don’t want any wine or cocktail but a glass of whiskey. It’s like that.

It’s my favorite wine, but sometimes I’m in the mood for something else. However, it’s hardly for a different varietal of wine.

Nonetheless, this is mainly why we try to buy a bottle of Pinot Noir from a precise region. 

We want it from an area where we know the grapes have been handled with care, grown in a cool climate, with a bit of fog in the morning, a little sunshine in the afternoon, and just enough chill throughout the day. (Yes, that’s right.)

Areas like the Sonoma Coast, the Russian River, Oregon, Washington, and, of course, Burgundy, France (its origin), are the best bets to pick a Pinot Noir producing the best quality.

If the bottle says “California,” we know we’re taking a chance since the grapes could have been harvested from anywhere in California where it’s dry and hot and not necessarily along the coast.

For example, if there are some grapes in that bottle that were grown in just “mild” temperatures, not the consistent chill in the air with just enough sunshine, the bottle may have something similar to that scratch you hear on vinyl listening to your favorite song. Buy at your own risk.

3. it’s Versatile 

Although I don’t drink sparkling wine much, the exception I’ll make is when sparkling wine is made from Pinot Noir grapes. I can’t say that about too many other grapes.

Regardless, if you’re trying to figure out what to pair with dinner, you can’t go wrong with a glass of Pinot Noir. It will go with just about anything or at least with a more extensive menu.

For people who don’t like the rules of what kind of wine you should pair your entrée, this is where beginners will have a leg up by choosing a Pinot Noir. 

Look like a pro when ordering a glass of wine when you order a glass of Pinot Noir.

4. The Quest

It’s not easy to find a good Pinot Noir, which is why I think most people don’t care for it too much. A good bottle of Pinot Noir can be hard to find, but this is what creates the following and, hence, the quest. It’s like visiting art galleries to find that one perfect piece!  

It’s not unlikely to find tasting rooms or wineries that offer just Pinot Noirs like this one in Healdsburg, too. However, the journey to find a good pinot is fun. Finding that one pinot becomes like finding that one thing you see on a casual shopping day.

The truth is, when we find a good one, we “gotta have it.” 

It’s not an easy grape to harvest, so the winemaker has to have enough love and care for this grape like an artist. The result can be a fantastic liquid art form.

5. No Guilt!

Pinot Noir grapes have thin skins and therefore, are more delicate, unlike the bigger, juicier grapes that are grown in the heat and tend to be more fruity and tannic. Pinot Noir grapes are harder to handle during the wine-making process. 

However, it’s this simplicity that when fermented and processed into wine, the sugars tend to dissipate causing fewer tannins.

What does this mean? 

This is the perfect choice for a Tuesday night glass of wine. No headache in the morning for that 9 am call because you wanted a little wine with your mushroom pasta the night before. I tend to find Pinot Noir wines are lighter overall and hence, no guilt for not having that morning headache. 

There are so many reasons this has been our favorite go-to wine. Although it depends on what we’re eating to pair an excellent wine with friends, too lazy to figure out what to pair with our dinner or want an easy drinking night, we’re having a glass of Pinot Noir.

We drink wine all the time. And Pinot Noir allows us to do just that.

What is your favorite red wine?