Are You Pining for a Pinot Noir and Great Food?

You’re in luck… this coming Sunday, August 18th, 2024 is International Pinot Noir Day. Of course, any day is a good day to sip on some Pinot Noir, but why not use Sunday as an excuse to pair your Pinot Noir with some exciting new food options?

Maybe you’re thinking of ordering in or picking up something on the way home. Or maybe you’re throwing something together yourself. Here are some suggestions:

To Pick Up or Order In

Sushi: Sushi can be light and delicate, especially if it contains salmon or other fish.

Mushroom Pizza: Yum! The earthy flavours of the mushroom make a great pairing with Pinot Noir.

Korean BBQ: Something a little different… Korean BBQ often has sweet and spicy flavours, as well as the earthy notes a lot of us love! Pinot Noir, with its acidity and fruitiness, as well as its earthy notes, can make a great accompaniment to the bbq dishes.

To Make at Home

Some of my favourites:

Salmon: Any way you do it, bbq’d, steamed, broiled, baked, lightly fried, salmon is great with Pinot Noir.

Chicken Wings: Pinot Noir with chicken wings that are bbq’d, baked, or air-fried is a great combination. Make sure that the chicken wings aren’t too hot but the Pinot Noir can stand up to light spices really well.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Pinot Noir is an extremely versatile wine. During holiday times, it’s a great wine to serve with chicken and turkey – especially if they’re roasted. If you have a dish that’s focused on beets, then think of serving it with Pinot Noir – the earthiness and the sweetness of the beets go really well with the wine. Mushroom risotto is another dish that immediately comes to mind.

And of course, there’s always red meats. The beauty of Pinot Noir is that it goes with so many types of food. Boeuf Bourgignon? You bet! Steak – of course!

And you can always just open a bottle, pour yourself a glass, sit back and relax… perhaps that’s the best “dish” of all.

For wine pairings re-imagined, tune into my conversation with Allie Pearce at https://www.winebehindthescenes.com/2023/11/01/upside-down-and-inside-out-wine-and-food-pairings-re-imagined or on your favourite streaming platform.