It’s no secret that we love Pinot Noir at Brooks. We have been making it in Oregon since 1998! With an estate garden full of beautiful and delicious ingredients and a menu of seasonal dishes offered at our tasting room, we especially love pairing Pinot Noir with food.
Why Pinot Noir?
Pinot Noir is an incredibly versatile wine that can pair well with many different foods. Its moderate tannins and medium body make it easy to pair with many dishes, from light seafood dishes to heavier meat dishes. Its high acidity makes it an excellent wine for rich or fatty foods.
Pairing Pinot Noir with Iconic Oregon Ingredients
We believe in the tried and true; if it grows together, it goes together. Here are a few of our favorite Oregon foods to pair with Pinot Noir:
Wild Salmon: Oregon is known for its wild salmon, and Pinot Noir is a great wine to pair with this local delicacy. The wine’s acidity and fruity flavors complement the salmon’s rich buttery flavor.
Aioli-baked salmon paired with 2019 Brooks Rastaban Pinot Noir
Mushrooms: Oregon is home to a variety of wild mushrooms, including chanterelles, porcini, and morels. Pinot Noir’s earthy undertones complement the umami flavors of mushrooms.
Fruit: Oregon grows a lot of different berries: boysenberries, Marionberries, raspberries, blackberries, and loganberries. Dishes featuring berries pair beautifully with Pinot Noir, particularly savory dishes with a berry sauce. We also love dishes featuring locally-grown cherries because cherry is a prominent aroma in most of our Pinot Noirs. A truly perfect congruent pairing!
Oregon Cheese: Oregon produces a variety of artisanal cheeses, including cheddar, gouda, and blue cheese. We love pairing our Pinot Noirs with an extra-mature cheddar from Oregon. The acidity and fruitiness of the wine complement the creamy and nutty flavors.
Oregon Truffles: Oregon produces some of the best truffles in the world, and Pinot Noir is the perfect wine to pair with these earthy, aromatic delicacies.
Truffled sea scallops paired with 2021 Janus Pinot Noir
These are just a few of the many foods that pair so well with Pinot Noir. Whether you’re a foodie looking to elevate your meal or a wine lover seeking the perfect pairing, experiment and think outside the box when pairing food with Pinot Noir. There’s nothing wrong with a Big Mac and a generous pour of Pinot Noir; this is one of our favorite pairings!