Buy Pinot Noir Wine Online — Delivered to the UK

Pinot Noir is one of the world's most versatile and sought-after red grapes — the backbone of red Burgundy, a key component in Champagne, and increasingly successful in Oregon, New Zealand and beyond. Vinissimus stocks a curated range across all price points, with delivery across the UK.

What is Pinot Noir?

Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned, early-budding red grape variety grown primarily in cooler climates. The name comes from the French words for pine and black — a reference to the grape's tightly clustered, pinecone-shaped bunches. It has been cultivated in Burgundy since the Middle Ages, where Cistercian monks were among the first to recognise its potential in the region's limestone soils.

It is one of the most demanding grapes to grow — sensitive to heat, cold, disease and poor soil — but when conditions are right, it produces wines of exceptional complexity and finesse that few other varieties can match.

What does Pinot Noir taste like?

Pinot Noir produces lighter-coloured, elegant reds with silky tannins and naturally high acidity. The flavour profile varies significantly by origin:

• Burgundy: sour cherry, raspberry, dried rose, earthy minerality, with leather and forest floor developing with age
• Oregon (Willamette Valley): riper red fruit, plum and spice, more approachable young
• New Zealand (Central Otago): dark cherry, plum and blackberry, with good structure and freshness
• Germany (Spätburgunder): delicate, light and precise — often the most restrained expression

With age, particularly in Burgundy, Pinot Noir develops game, mushroom, truffle and savoury umami notes that make it one of the most complex reds available.

Pinot Noir regions

Pinot Noir's heartland is Burgundy, but it has found successful homes across the world:

• Burgundy (France): the benchmark. Côte de Nuits produces the most celebrated reds — Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle-Musigny. Prices range from accessible village wines to some of the most expensive bottles on earth.
• Oregon (USA): the Willamette Valley is the most acclaimed New World region for Pinot Noir — riper and more accessible than Burgundy but with genuine complexity.
• New Zealand: Central Otago and Marlborough produce structured, fruit-forward Pinot Noirs with good ageing potential.
• Germany: Spätburgunder — the German name for Pinot Noir — produces light, precise and often underrated reds, especially from Baden and the Ahr.
• Alto Adige (Italy): elegant, mineral Pinot Nero from high-altitude vineyards in the northern Alps.

Pinot Noir and Champagne

Pinot Noir is one of the three permitted grapes in Champagne alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. It adds body, red fruit character and structure to Champagne blends. In Blanc de Noirs — white Champagne made entirely from black grapes — Pinot Noir is the dominant variety, producing rich, full-bodied sparkling wines with a distinctive vinous depth.

Pinot Noir and food pairing

Pinot Noir's acidity and soft tannins make it one of the most food-friendly red wines available:

• Duck breast or confit duck — the classic pairing
• Roast chicken and game birds — pheasant, guinea fowl, quail
• Salmon and tuna — Pinot Noir is one of the few reds that works with oily fish
• Mushroom-based dishes — the earthy notes in the wine mirror the umami in the food
• Mild soft cheeses — Brie, Camembert, goat's cheese

Avoid heavy, tannic dishes — Pinot Noir's delicacy will be overwhelmed by anything too powerful.

Pinot Noir vs other red wines

Two common comparisons worth addressing:

Pinot Noir vs Merlot: both are soft and approachable, but Pinot Noir is lighter, higher in acidity and more complex with age. Merlot is fuller, rounder and more consistent across climates.

Pinot Noir vs Cabernet Sauvignon: Cabernet is fuller-bodied, more tannic and more structured. Pinot Noir is lighter, more delicate and significantly more sensitive to terroir. They are very different wines that suit different occasions.

FAQ

Is Pinot Noir a dry wine?

Yes — almost all Pinot Noir is dry. The grape has naturally high acidity and low tannins, which can make young wines seem austere, but there is no residual sweetness.

Is Pinot Noir red or white?

Red. Pinot Noir is a dark-skinned grape producing red wine. However, it is also used to make white and rosé Champagne — including Blanc de Noirs — because the juice itself is colourless.

What is the difference between Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio?

They are different varieties from the same Pinot family. Pinot Noir is a red grape producing red wine. Pinot Grigio is a white-skinned mutation of Pinot Noir producing white wine.

What food goes with Pinot Noir?

Duck, roast chicken, game birds, salmon, mushroom dishes and mild soft cheeses. It is one of the most versatile food wines available.

Is Burgundy the same as Pinot Noir? Red Burgundy is made from 100% Pinot Noir. Not all Pinot Noir is Burgundy — the grape is grown worldwide — but red Burgundy is always Pinot Noir.