Grape Variety Guide: Pinot Meunier

Pinot Meunier is a natural mutation of Pinot Noir, and its name describes how to spot it. Meunier is French for miller, and the undersides of its leaves carry a fine white down that looks as though the vine has been dusted with flour.

It has long been one of the three principal Champagne varieties, and for much of the twentieth century it was the most widely planted of them. Despite that, it has usually been treated as the supporting player rather than the star, which says more about fashion than about the grape.

Pinot Meunier characteristics

Softer and rounder than Pinot Noir, with lower acidity and more immediate fruit. Red apple, cherry and strawberry, sometimes with a faint earthiness. It brings approachability and generosity rather than structure, which is why it is valued in blends: it fills the middle, softens the edges, and makes a wine drinkable earlier. It has earned significant respect in recent years, particularly through 100% Meunier single-varietal Champagnes and still red wines.

Why does Pinot Meunier suit England?

Meunier is the pragmatist of the Pinot family. It buds later than Pinot Noir, which helps it dodge spring frost, and it ripens earlier, which helps it beat the autumn weather. In a country where the vintage is decided at both ends of the season, being late to start and early to finish is an enormous practical advantage.

It also copes better than Pinot Noir with heavier, cooler and more frost-prone sites, and it tends to crop more reliably. In marginal climates, reliability is a quality in its own right.

Like Pinot Noir, it has colourless juice beneath a dark skin, so it can be made as white, rosé or red.

Our approach to growing Pinot Meunier at Dillions 

Our Pinot Meunier is planted across 11 rows with a total of 900 vines. Our specific clone is 977. We would typically use our Pinot Meunier as part of a sparkling wine blend or blanc de noirs but in some years we've used it as a component of our rose. In 2026 the warm weather allowed ripeness and acidity levels rarely seen before and we were able to use the Pinot Meunier as a component of one of our red wines.

Pinot Meunier Frequently asked questions

What is Pinot Meunier?

Pinot Meunier is a black grape variety and a natural mutation of Pinot Noir. It is one of the three principal grapes of Champagne and for much of the twentieth century was the most widely planted of them, valued for its reliability and the softness it brings to a blend.
Why is it called Pinot Meunier?

Meunier is French for miller. The undersides of its leaves carry a fine white down that looks as though the vine has been dusted with flour. It is the one genuinely reliable way to tell Meunier from the other Pinots in the vineyard.
What does Pinot Meunier taste like?

Softer and rounder than Pinot Noir, with lower acidity and more immediate fruit. Red apple, cherry and strawberry, sometimes with a faint earthiness. It brings approachability and generosity rather than structure, which is why it tends to be valued as a blending component.
What is the difference between Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir?

Meunier buds later and ripens earlier than Pinot Noir, which helps it avoid spring frost at one end of the season and autumn rain at the other. It also crops more reliably and copes better with cooler, heavier sites. The wine is softer, fruitier and less structured.
Why is Pinot Meunier grown in England?

Because reliability is a quality in its own right in a marginal climate. Budding late and ripening early makes Meunier one of the safer black grapes in an English vineyard, and it brings fruit and roundness that Pinot Noir in a cool season often cannot.
Is Pinot Meunier a red wine grape?

It is a black-skinned grape with colourless juice, so it can make white, rosé or red wine depending on how long the juice stays in contact with the skins. In practice most Meunier goes into sparkling wine and rosé rather than still red.