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5 Perfect American Pinot Noir and Pasta Pairings

Pinot Noir and Pasta Pairings
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Pinot noir is known as one of the best food-pairing wines that there is thanks to its bright acidity, sturdy yet balanced tannic structure, and complex rich-fruit character. It pairs well with a wide range of foods and flavors, making its use with pasta a no-brainer — extending to any number of shapes and forms, from tagliatelle to gnudi, with an infinite variety of ingredients it can be served with. Whether you prefer a red sauce, a cream sauce, or are a vegetarian or a meat-lover, pasta is whatever you want it to be, and Pinot noir is right there next to it to make it taste even better. Here are a few of our favorite Pinot and pasta pairings:

Belle Glos Dairyman 2018 Pinot Noir and Wild Boar Ragu Pasta

Robust Pinot noirs demand an equally bold pasta to balance (or vice versa), and that’s just what this pairing is. This vineyard-designated Russian River Valley wine produced by winemaker Joe Wagner is distinctive in flavor, but also in style. The coastally-influenced Dairyman Pinot noir expresses notes of ripe dark berries, with layers of earth, and a touch of cacao and savory spices from the 100% French Oak barrels in which the wine has aged.

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Belle Glos Dairyman weighs-in at a whopping 14.5% ABV which makes a hearty Wild Boar Ragu its perfect match. The ragu calls for a wine to be used as an element of the seasoning and preparation of the meat, which is then used as a part of the ragu. Use the Dairyman Pinot noir both when making the dish, as well as to pair, and the marriage will be seamless and worthwhile.

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Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2017 and Tortellini with Porcini Mushroom Sauce

Matt Morris

The Freestone Vineyards 100% estate-grown Pinot noir is a phenomenally well-structured, light-bodied wine. It boasts flavors of both candied and under-ripe red fruits, such as strawberries and cherries, with a subtle herbaceousness and earthiness reminiscent of mushrooms that makes this wine a perfect match for an umami-bomb of a pasta in the form of tortellini with porcini mushroom sauce. 

Emma K. Morris

The pasta is incredibly easy to whip up, vegetarian, and will dampen the savory notes of the wine and bring forth its fresh acidity in the form of raspberries, and bing cherries. It’ll spur a happy dilemma between wanting to glug this refreshing pinot, and looking to take your next bite of this delectable pasta. If you are an avid DIY’er, we recommend giving Joseph Phelps’ own mushroom ravioli recipe a go and substituting it for the tortellini. 

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La Crema Brut Rosé and Seafood Pasta with Tomato and Crushed Olives 

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Also coming from the cool grape growing region of coastal California’s Sonoma County, this vibrant, sophisticated rosé is predominantly Pinot noir, blended with a bit of its close cousin, Chardonnay. While it can sometimes be difficult to pair red Pinots with seafood depending on how meaty the fish is, and what it’s plated with, high-acid rosés skirt around those issues with characteristics that make the pairing almost fool-proof.

The La Crema Brut Rosé expresses complementary notes of lemon zest and has a minerality that tastes like the shells of oysters (I know, it sounds crazy, but you’ll see). The seafood pasta is almost like a hybrid between a pasta and a stew, and leaves it up to the chef to decide which fish to use. We recommend something with a bit more weight to it, such as swordfish, for this specific pasta. The high acidity of the tomatoes, and bitterness from the olives, will leave the wine tasting bright and fruity, with hints of citrus. A great warm-weather pasta pairing.

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BÖEN Russian River Pinot Noir 2018 and Creamy Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes

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While pesto can be made with a blend of any green and nut, the classic basil-pine nut pesto, which is the one used in this recipe, is known for pungent flavors that tend to linger long after the meal is over. When cream is added, it softens the spice of the garlic and herbaceousness of the dish and makes it rich, asking for a wine pairing with big flavors and refreshing acidity. The BÖEN Russian River Pinot noir is just that.

Pixzolo

It’s high in alcohol at 14.7% ABV, but its clean, mouth-watering acidity makes the wine seem less thick and heavy. The wine has characteristics of blackberry, red fruit, savory spices, and rosemary. It’s full-bodied and is able to stand up to the heartiness of the pasta’s sauce while also lending some fruit and spice to the dish, making it the perfect balance. 

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Antica Napa Valley Pinot Noir 2017 and Cacio e Pepe

Antica

It is almost impossible to mess up pairing any wine with cheese, let’s be honest. No matter the cheese, or the wine, the acid of the wine and fat and lactic acid from the cheese are just a match made in heaven. So, how do you pair a pasta that is essentially just flavored with pungent cheeses and pepper? You focus on amplifying the texture of the dish. 

The Antica Napa Valley Pinot noir’s subtle, needlelike tannins from the French oak give the wine a light, nuanced structure when balanced with its crisp acidity — characteristics that improve the pasta. It has aromas of vanilla and ripe cherry, and tastes of ripe dark fruits and berry jam, with hints of baking spices. When paired with the pasta, you’ll find that it adds a tart brightness to the otherwise creamy pasta. And, if you’ve never had Cacio e Pepe before, then you are really in for a treat.

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Editors' Recommendations

Tyler Zielinski
Tyler is a New York-based freelance cocktail and spirits journalist, competitive bartender, and bar consultant. He is an…
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Pinot Gris tends to be less bright, with at least a touch of residual sugar. It’s sweeter and the fruit flavors are generally riper — think poached pear, baked apple, or squishy kiwi. Grigio, on the other hand, tends to be bone dry, with a zippy acidity and a really light, barely straw hue. Its tasting notes tend to incorporate things like citrus zest and Granny Smith apple, with a really clean and refreshing build.

There are great options for Pinot Gris all over the planet. But it’s especially good in cooler areas like Oregon, British Columbia, Argentina, and its native Alsace. Grigio, of course, should be from Italy and tends to come from Lombardy. But there are some fantastic versions from Alto Adige, too, along with Friuli-Venezia in the far north.
Some of the larger producers in the states make something called a Pinot Grigio, but they’re likely just capitalizing off of the marketability of a few extra syllables or the fact that, for whatever reason, people seem more comfortable ordering Grigio than Gris. The cheapest incarnations of the grape tend to wear the Grigio name, which is probably why more consumers seem to be familiar with it. But as a fair warning, if you see Grigio in the name of an American wine, it’s probably a box product made in the most economical way possible, stylistic differences be damned.
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Here are a few to try:

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While an Aussie state, Tasmania is very much its own thing. Like Hawaii, it possesses deep island culture and an identity uniquely its own. Because it’s south of the Australian continent, it hosts a cooler climate and differing grape-growing conditions. Varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling are showing real signs of happiness living in Tasman soils. Wines like Syrah and Cab are taking hold in spots here as well. There’s also a noteworthy sparkling movement at play.
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The winds whip in from its ocean surroundings, causing many growers to erect screens to protect estate vines. The temperatures, though, are mostly mild, kept so by the marine air. That means a slow and typically even ripening, which is music to the ears of vintners, especially the ones dealing in drama queen grapes like Pinot Noir (the most planted variety in Tasmania, with about four out of very ten vineyard rows devoted to it).
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