Don’t eat the following while drinking Pinot Noir:
- citrus fruit or foods that are citrus based
- vinegar or foods that are vinegar based like some dressings, bbq sauces, and dipping sauces
(for a pinot noir friendly salad dressing click here or try this with blanc de noir) - anything overly acidic (like some robust tomato or marinara sauces)
- desserts or purely sweet dishes
The subtlety of Pinot Noir will be easily overwhelmed by these types of food.
What about hot & spicy foods (foods with chiles)?
Your ability to enjoy a Pinot Noir with spicy foods depends entirely on your tolerance for chile heat. If you’re Thai, you probably don’t sense spicy heat unless someone squirts pepper spray directly into your mouth, and eating chiles with Pinot Noir won’t much matter. If, on the other hand, you’re Irish, you may need to be hospitalized if a flake of red chile accidentally brushes against your fork, and Pinot Noir is not the best pairing with spicy food for you… the heat will overwhelm the Pinot. I tend to like heat, so you’ll find chiles often in my recipes, but please cut back or eliminate them entirely if you are sensitive… or feel free to hit them with a shot of pepper spray, Mr. Pradeep.
Michel Salgues gave my boss several bottles of Roederer Pinot and since my boss is a good Mormon, he has given me a bottle. Finances of late have limited us to box wines, so this will be a great treat. I love to cook and appreciate your guidance. Thank you!