wine

Mick O’Connell: Pinot noir remains the wine world’s most romantic grape

Detractors may dismiss it as weak, but this heartbreaker is a true delight

Paul Giamatti: his performance as wine nerd Miles in the movie Sideways prompted a surge in the popularity of pinot noir. Picture: Getty

“Why are you so into pinot? I mean… it’s like a thing with you.”

Ah, pinot noir. Shall I compare it to a summer’s day? It’s the only grape variety that is positively Shakesperean. It’s the heartbreak grape.

Detractors will call it light and weak, but only pinot noir at its best effortlessly wears full flavour on a lithe body. It doesn’t need to shout like other grapes. Its whisper, its mere glance, can be ...