Pinot Meunier

Pinot Meunier is a light to medium-bodied red grape from France, best known as one of the key grapes used in Champagne. When made as a still red, expect juicy cherry, raspberry and strawberry with floral, herbal and gently earthy flavours. Fresh and soft, it’s brilliant with roast chicken, pork, duck, salmon, charcuterie and mushroom dishes.

Taste:

Fresh, fruity and usually happier sharing the spotlight.

Still Pinot Meunier is typically dry and light to medium-bodied, with bright acidity, soft tannins and lots of juicy red fruit. Expect cherry, raspberry, strawberry and redcurrant, often joined by violet, herbs, gentle spice and subtle earthy flavours.

It shares some similarities with its relative Pinot Noir, but Pinot Meunier can be particularly fruit-forward and approachable when young.

In sparkling wine, it brings fruit, body and softness to the blend, which is one reason it has become such an important part of Champagne.

Basically, you've probably drunk more Pinot Meunier than you realise. It's just been hiding in the group project.

Food Pairings:

Still Pinot Meunier's lighter body makes it brilliantly versatile around food.

Try it with roast chicken, grilled chicken, duck breast, roast pork, pork chops, glazed ham or sausages.

Like Pinot Noir, it can also work really well with richer fish. Grilled salmon, roast salmon and seared tuna are all great matches.

For meat-free options, try mushroom risotto, mushroom pasta, mushroom pie, roasted vegetables or lentil dishes.

It also works nicely with charcuterie, including prosciutto, salami and pâté, as well as mushroom, prosciutto or Margherita pizza.

For cheese, Brie, Camembert, Gruyère and Comté all make good partners.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir is the obvious next stop for another member of the Pinot family, with similar red-fruit flavours and even greater earthy complexity.

Gamay is worth trying if juicy fruit and soft tannins are what you enjoy most, while Spätburgunder offers an elegant German take on Pinot Noir.

And if you've discovered Pinot Meunier through sparkling wine, Champagne is where you'll find it playing one of its most famous roles.

Enjoyed this one? Give it a heart and we'll use your favourites to recommend other wines we think you'll love.

More About Pinot Meunier:

Pinot Meunier is most famously grown in France's Champagne region, where it sits alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as one of the three principal grape varieties.

It is particularly valued in cooler vineyard sites because it buds later and ripens earlier than Pinot Noir, helping reduce some of the risks posed by Champagne's cool climate.

The grape takes its name from the French word meunier, meaning “miller”. That's a reference to the dusty, flour-like appearance on the underside of its leaves.

Although most Pinot Meunier disappears into bottles of sparkling wine, producers increasingly make still red versions too.

Supporting actor for centuries. Solo career finally underway.