Hello, my dear friends! December 10th will mark International Tokaj Day. The most famous Hungarian wine is one of the most delicious and iconic white wines of the world. But since we have revealed the secrets of this wonderful wine before, today’s post will do justice to a secret ingredient in every champagne bottle; Pinot Meunier. On December 16, this red grape variety will be celebrated internationally, so here we go with all you need to know about it!
First of all, we love still and sparkling single varietal versions of Pinot Meunier as much as the sparkling blends that it contributes to. However, let’s face it, Pinot Menuier is a rather overlooked variety. As you can guess from the name, Pinot Meunier is part of the Pinot family. The word 'Meunier' is French for 'miller', and refers here to the "floury" appearance of the underside of the vines' leaves. It produces a fruity wine full of red fruit notes such as cherry, raspberry and pomegranate, alongside some savoury flavours. Aromas of mushrooms, roses and a bit of earthiness are prominent as well. It has a medium-high acidity being a cool-climate grape variety. It’s a lighter style red wine, that brings bright fruit and aromatics to a blend.
Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
Pinot Meunier has long been described as a clonal mutation of the Pinot group, therefore sharing the same DNA fingerprint as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and other Pinot derivatives. Recent research has challenged this relationship, however. This has led to institutions such as the Comité Interprofessionel du vin de Champagne (CIVC) and Institut National de la Recheche Agronomique (INRA), in France, to advocate the Meunier name as being less misleading.
Although being siblings, each of these grapes have their own signature aromas and flavour contributions to any wine. Unlike Pinot Noir, Meunier can be grown in colder climates and it also ripens earlier than its famous sibling. Therefore it produces a light and higher acidity wine than Pinot Noir. It is quite rare to find Meunier as a single variety, however there are some out there, both still and sparkling, and they are actually really enjoyable wines!
Where Meunier is grown?
Pinot Meunier is prevalent throughout Champagne and makes up about 40% of plantings there. Since it’s actually a mutation of Pinot Noir, it is often debated whether it should be considered a varietal on its own, but at this stage, it warrants individual consideration since it is grown and valued separately from its ancestor. Outside of Champagne, a minor planting in the nearby Loire Valley is where it is most often blended to make sparkling wines.
You can also find Pinot Meunier in smaller quantities from The USA, Germany, and Australia.
Food pairing and our special recommendation
Pinot Meunier pairs well with poultry – think roasted chicken, duck, or turkey – or grilled pork. For vegetarian dishes, it works well with mushroom-based recipes like a mushroom stroganoff. It would be the perfect wine to work with traditional Christmas meals based around turkey and roasted fall vegetables.
Champagne is a region rooted in tradition, but its reputation and quality come from always moving with the times. By embracing Meunier, producers in Champagne are adding yet another style and level of complexity to the region’s wines.
Our recommendation for those willing to taste this variety is Champagne Trudon Emblematis, which is made mostly of Meunier, with a smaller percentage of Pinot Noir. Emblématis offers gourmet pleasure. It's been designed to be tasted any time with trendy sweet and savoury dishes. We suggest you to drink it at a temperature of 7 to 9°C.
And that's a wrap for today. Have a happy rest of the week! Let's meet again here next Wednesday! Until then... Santé!
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