Word on the Vine: Pinot Meunier

One of the three champagne grapes, this robust, red-skinned mutation brings fruity richness

THE GRAPE

Alongside chardonnay and pinot noir, the red-skinned pinot meunier (increasingly just called meunier) is one of the three grapes permitted in champagne production and represents third of all vineyard plantings in the region. It is a mutation of pinot noir, first identified in the 16th century. The French word for ‘miller’, meunier is named after the fine white hairs resembling a dusting of flour that grow on the underside of the leaves.

THE TASTE

Often seen as the least prestigious grape of the champagne trio, nevertheless meunier adds red fruit, richness and acidity to blends and is prized as a single varietal by a small number of Champenois. Expect red fruit – strawberries, raspberries and cherries – sharpened up with yellow plums and bramley apple; more complex examples might also give a hint of mushrooms, soil and a slight saline tang.

THE MATCHES

Since it adds heft to a champagne blend, it can generally stand up against duck and rare tuna as well as the more classic matches of chicken and white fish. Pair earthier examples with mushroom based dishes, while the red fruit goes well with warm fruit tarts. Or simply enjoy it as an apéritif.

THE VINES

Growers value meunier for ripening later than pinot noir, making it less susceptible to damage from spring frosts and other damaging environmental conditions. The grape is grown on cooler, north-facing vineyards unsuitable for the less robust pinot noir; it thrives in the Aube, Champagne’s most southerly region, and the cooler vineyards of the Marne Valley and Aisne.

This article was taken from the July 2025 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.