Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir has fostered a love affair with many red wine drinkers the world over. It is typically a more lighter-bodied wine than other reds, and it is flavoured to match. You can expect fruity flavours of raspberries, cherries and strawberries that often flow onto earthy and cedar tones. There may also be hints of herbs and spices, and even chocolaty flavours depending on the vineyard and the region.

If that all sounds like a bit much to take in, you will just have to wait until you try it to see why Pinot Noir is a favourite of so many wine drinkers. While the best Pinot Noir is often claimed from its French origins, other regions such as California and Australia have also produced some quality examples.

Pinot Noir is also considered to be quite temperamental, and lower quality Pinots can really mar the experience of drinking this popular red wine. However, that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune to find good bottles, and most Pinot is best consumed shortly after the vintage. At the top end of the Pinot Noir scale, some bottles can be aged up to around eight years.

Try Pinot Noir with pork or lamb, or any zesty meal you see fit to match with this wine. However, be warned, if you develop a taste for good Pinot, you may find it hard to pick anything else when the wine menu comes around. Continue discovering the basics to the most popular red wine varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, or search wine.com.au for Pinot Noir.