Pinot Noir: A perfect holiday wine
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Nothing beats Pinot Noir as the all-purpose Thanksgiving Day wine, said Karen MacNeil in Cooking Light. How can one varietal satisfy “foods that are so divergent?” Pinot’s dry, underlying acidity is the reason it readily complements a wide range of flavors. Most red wines have very little acidity, but “Pinot Noir has it in spades,” so it rarely interferes with other flavors. “Instead, it acts as a refreshing counterpoint.” Given the grape’s versatility, “steals are rare.” But investing in an outstanding wine is well worth the cost, especially during holiday time. Here are five we highly recommend:
Merry Edwards Olivet Lane Pinot Noir 2005 (Russian River Valley, Calif., $60) One of the most “sensual and mesmerizing” Pinots.
Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir 2004 (Carneros, Calif., $30) A juicy, strawberry jam flavor.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Roar Pinot Noir 2005 (Santa Lucia Highlands, Calif., $37) Ethereal and earthy.
Clos Pegase Mitsuko’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005 (Carneros, Calif., $35) Understated, with hints of raspberry and rhubarb.
Cristom Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir 2004 (Willamette Valley, Ore., $45) A “sublime, complex wine.”
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Biden's first rodeo
cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
Biden's stumble
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
The daily gossip: Travis Kelce chats about Taylor Swift's Chiefs game visit, Hollywood writers thrilled with details of new contract as strike ends, and more
The daily gossip: September 27, 2023
By Brendan Morrow Published