Pinot Noir Description

In this section, you'll find a detailed Pinot Noir description, information on how it's different from other types of red wine and how to pronounce Pinot Noir. Pinot wine is one of my favorites and this section provides more details on this great type of red wine.

It also includes information on the differences between this red wine type and other popular red wine types including Cabernet Sauvignon wine, Merlot wine, Syrah wine and Zinfandel wine.

Before we get started with the description, I wanted to provide some tips and information on how to pronounce Pinot Noir. Pinot is pronounced with a silent 't', so the word sounds like it ends in an 'o'.

Noir is a French word meaning 'black'. This refers to the dark color of the grapes used to make this wine. It is pronounced in the same way as the noir in 'film noir'. The 'o' is pronounced more as a 'w'. Here is where you can listen to a pronunciation of this popular red wine.

Pinot Noir Description

Pinots are light to medium body wines. They are drinkable after only two to five years of aging. If you let it age a little longer, the aging will bring out more flavor.

Pinot wines are able to stand on their own and are fairly soft. It's typically used as a single varietal wine and is rarely used in red wine blends. Pinots usually include hints of cherry, raspberry and strawberry flavors.

On average, its grapes are only good enough for wine making a few years out of every decade. This makes it pretty expensive, yet fun for the wineries to make.

How is it different from other red wine types?

The Pinot Noir description makes it different from many of the other types of red wine. Here is how it is different from many of the other popular red wine types:

Cabernet Sauvignon Wine: Pinot noir is much lighter than a Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Cab wines are medium to full bodied wines. Cabernet wines also take much longer to age than a Pinot wine.

Merlot Wine: Merlots are also much heavier and bolder than Pinot wines. The Pinot Noir description is that it is more of a lighter bodied wine and a Merlot is defined as a medium to full bodied wine.

Syrah Wine: Syrah wine is also closer in body to a Cabernet or Merlot vs a Pinot wine. It's a heavier bodied wine and has hints of spice, pepper and only a little bit of fruitiness.

Zinfandel Wine: Pinots are mostly grown in cooler climates, where Zinfandels are grown in warmer climates. Pinots are going to be lighter and smoother than most Zin wines. Zins are bolder and fruitier than a Pinot wine.

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Visit the Sonoma County Pinot Noir Wines section for some recommendations of my favorite Pinot Noir wines. Learn more about Bourgogne wine from the Burgundy wine region in France. The majority of the red wine from this region is made from 100% Pinot grapes.

Find out more about some additional types of red wine:

Cabernet Franc Wine

Malbec Wine

Sangiovese Wine

Tempranillo Wine