Pinot Noir Wine and Cheese Pairings

Pairing Cheese with Pinot Noir - Pinot Noirs with their red berry flavors and floral aromas meld well with natural rinded cow's milk cheeses, and many of the sheep milk cheeses, including the Iberian thistle-renneted cheeses. Pinots are rarely successful with blue cheeses, washed rind cheeses, or goat milk cheeses. The acids in these cheese types can ruin a fine Pinot Noir. One exception to the rule is with mixed milk cheeses that have goat's milk, these have the potential to pair well with Pinot Noir.

About Pinot Noir - Pinot Noir is one of the most demanding and tricky grapes to grow yet yields the ultimate reward to the grape growers and winemakers who choose to take on the challenge. In their finest form, Pinot Noir grapes produce wines that can be high in alcohol, light in color and low in tannin. The best examples are lush and multi-dimensional, with notes of black cherries, red berries, earth and spice, with an aroma that's reminiscent of everything from herbs and cola to bacon and roses. One of the most exciting developments in the world of wine is the recent advances Oregon and California winemakers have made in producing first rate Pinot Noirs, respectable rivals to the legendary reds of French Burgundy. Although more difficult to cultivate there is no other grape that can offer more sensual, smooth and intricate flavors than a great Pinot Noir.