Pinot Meunier

Pinot Meunier is a variety of black wine grape most noted for being one of the tree main varieties used in the production of Champagne. 

This grape has often been described as a workhorse grape, useful for contributing fruity aromas and youthful suppleness to a blend, but somehow rustic and uninteresting on it's own, not age worthy and most definitely not for serious wines.

Pinot Meuniers tend to have bouquets of cranberry and cherry to them and one other strong particular scent - smoke. Altrough some varietal Pinot Meuniers can be fermented in oak but not more than for few years. Lots of red fruits will dominate the palate of this wine, but depending on where wine was produced and how long it was aged, the red fruits can veer into darker, more bitter category.

Pinot Moeinier is approximately one third of all grapes planted in Champagne region. it is also one of the most widely planted grapes in France but it is rather obscure to most wine drinkers and will rarely be seen on a wine label. Grape tends to be planted in areas too cold for other grapes as an insurance grape against poor vintages, this is because it is more accepting to the cold.

Pinot Meunier was first mentioned in the 16th century.

Compared to Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier produces lighter colored wines with slightly higer acid levels but can maintain similar sugar and alcohol levels.