Pinot Meunier

One of the three main Champagne grapes, covering roughly a third of the vineyard: fruity, early-ripening, and adding roundness to many blends.

At a glance

Also known as

Colour

Red

Origin

France — a mutation of Pinot

Main regions

Champagne (especially the Vallée de la Marne), Württemberg (Germany), England, the Loire

Varietal or blend

Mostly blended with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in sparkling wine; some single-variety Champagnes and German still reds exist.

Body & sweetness

Light to medium-bodied.

Flavour: Red apple, red berries and a soft, slightly earthy fruitiness.
Style: Wines are approachable young; traditionally thought to age less well than Pinot Noir, though growers now make long-lived Meunier.

Growing: Buds late and ripens early, so it avoids spring frost — valuable in cold, frost-prone valleys. The leaves have a white, flour-like down underneath.
Winemaking: Pressed gently for white sparkling base wine; in Germany made into still reds and rosés.