If You Love Pinot Noir, You’ll Love These Wines, Too

Thanks in no small part to the movie “Sideways,” pinot noir has enjoyed wild popularity during the last couple of decades. But of course the film cannot take full credit; it simply helped raise awareness among wine drinkers of pinot’s remarkable qualities. And it truly is a grape that has earned its venerated reputation. 

While pinot noir is on the lighter end of the red wine spectrum, it’s typically bursting with flavor and beautifully textured, with notes that include ripe red fruits and fragrant flowers, as well as baking spices and earthy undertones. Pinot also possesses the ability to take on vastly different personalities depending on where it’s grown. For instance, the vineyards of Burgundy are known to produce rustic mineral-driven wines, while those in, say, the Central Coast of California give way to rich, juicy wines with lots of upfront fruit. It’s also an incredibly versatile food-pairing wine that perfectly complements a wide range of cuisines. 

While many of us could happily drink pinot noir any day of the week, it tends to be more fun to sample a wider range of wines. And as a bonus, these lesser-known grapes and regions are often much more affordably priced than the highly in-demand pinot noir. Fortunately, whichever style of pinot you prefer, the grape serves as a perfect jumping-off point for further exploration. These wines are a great place to start if you want to get to know the world of lighter-bodied reds.