What's Going On in the World of French Wines

While many people are aware that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are two of the grapes used to make Champagne, few people know that there is a third grape that is typically used in the blend: Pinot Meunier.

Pinot Meunier has a fairly interesting history. Meunier is the French word for miller – a person who grinds grain into flour. The underside of the leaves of this grape can look as if they have been coated with flour, thus the name “Meunier.” You might be wondering if Pinot Meunier is related to Pinot Noir and in fact, Pinot Meunier is a mutation of Pinot Noir, so the two grapes do share some things in common. Like Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier is a red grape, although it is usually lighter in color than Pinot Noir.

One of the reasons Pinot Meunier is such a popular grape in the Champagne region is that it is a terrific grape for cool climates and it buds late and ripens early when compared to Pinot Noir. The Champagne region can be tough on grapes and in some vintages it can be hard to fully ripen the grapes due to the low temperatures. Therefore an early ripener like Pinot Meunier can come in handy. According to the Oxford Companion to Wine (which is a wine lover’s Bible, by the way), there are about 26,000 acres of Pinot Meunier planted in Champagne. While it was historically the favorite (mainly because it was so dependable), plantings of Pinot Meunier have slowed a bit in the last few years compared to plantings of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Each of the three grapes in the Champagne blend bring something to the table; Pinot Meunier is known for adding a lively acidity and fruitiness to the wine. While you might have to search to find a single varietal bottling of Pinot Meunier here in the US market, that are a few that are available. Pinot Meunier is planted in Australia, Switzerland, California (especially in Carneros), British Columbia and a few other appellations in France besides Champagne, such as the Loire Valley. And of course, you can always look for it in Champagne!