Cabernet vs pinot noir
Two red wines, two very different experiences. How they are grown, how they taste and which dinner suits which.
Cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir are the two reds most people choose between, and they sit at opposite ends of the shelf.
Cabernet sauvignon in one paragraph
A thick-skinned grape that ripens late and grows well in warm climates. Thick skins mean colour, tannin and structure. The flavours people find in it are blackcurrant, black cherry, cedar, graphite and, when oak is involved, vanilla and tobacco. It is full-bodied, grippy and long-finishing, and it ages well because tannin acts as a preservative.
Pinot noir in one paragraph
A thin-skinned grape that ripens early and needs a cooler climate to keep its acidity. Thin skins mean lighter colour and much softer tannin. Expect red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, rose, and with age, mushroom and forest floor. It is light to medium bodied, high in acidity, and silky rather than grippy.
The practical differences
Weight: cabernet is heavy, pinot is light. Tannin: cabernet is firm and drying, pinot is soft. Acidity: pinot is brighter, which makes it more food-flexible. Oak: cabernet takes new oak comfortably, pinot is easily buried by it. Temperature: both are better slightly cool, but pinot benefits most, and a light chill suits it in summer.
Where each one grows
Cabernet: Napa and Paso Robles for ripe, plush and oaky. Bordeaux for drier, more savoury and cedar-driven. Washington for a middle path. Chile for straightforward, fruit-driven bottles.
Pinot noir: Burgundy for earthy, mineral and restrained. Oregon's Willamette Valley for red fruit and structure. Sonoma Coast and Santa Barbara for riper, fuller California styles. New Zealand for bright, herb-edged fruit.
Reading the region on a label tells you more about style than the vintage does.
What to eat with them
Cabernet wants fat and char: ribeye, lamb, burgers, hard aged cheese, anything off a grill. It fights delicate food and loses.
Pinot noir wants savoury and mid-weight: salmon, duck, roast chicken, mushrooms, pork, charcuterie, and it is the most reliable red on a Thanksgiving table because it does not bulldoze anything.
Which one to buy tonight
Buy cabernet if you are eating red meat, if you like a big mouthfeel, or if you want a bottle that improves in the cellar.
Buy pinot noir if the food is lighter, if the table includes people who find big reds harsh, or if you want one red that goes with almost everything on a mixed table.
If you like one, try these next
Like cabernet: try malbec for something softer, syrah for pepper, or a cabernet-based red blend for a rounder version of the same idea.
Like pinot noir: try gamay for something lighter and juicier, or a cool-climate grenache for red fruit with a little more warmth.
Serving and glassware
Serve cabernet at 62 to 65 degrees in a large bowl glass, decanted if it is young and tight. Serve pinot at 55 to 60 degrees; the glass shape matters less than the temperature.
Selection changes week to week, so call to confirm a specific bottle.