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VinePair asked 16 sommeliers to identify underappreciated Pinot Noir wines and regions. The responses point beyond Burgundy to producers in places including Australia, Germany, California, Greece and Japan, though the supplied report excerpt contains only some of the recommendations and does not provide a full list of 16.
VinePair has published recommendations from 16 sommeliers asked to name the most underrated Pinot Noir on the market, with picks ranging from a $20 Australian bottle to German, Californian and Greek wines. The survey offers readers alternatives to familiar Pinot Noir regions, but the available source material provides only part of the full set of responses.
Among the recommendations in the supplied report are the 2021 Redbank Pinot Noir from King Valley, Australia; Santa Cruz Mountains producer Sante Arcangeli’s Split Rail Vineyard bottling; Belle Pente from Oregon’s Willamette Valley; and Ojai Vineyard’s “Fe Ciega Discípulo” from California’s Sta. Rita Hills. Other respondents point readers toward German Spätburgunder, Greek Pinot Noir and Japan’s Coco Farm.
Thomas Price, beverage director at 1856 – Culinary Residence in Auburn, Alabama, calls the Redbank wine “light, fresh, and irresistible” and says it sells for $20 at his shop. That price is Price’s stated local retail price, not a general market price. Christian DiNello, wine director at Indienne and Elder in New York City, highlights German Pinot Noir, naming Wasenhaus and Enderle & Moll as favorites and recommending Wasenhaus’ single-vineyard Möhlin.
Several responses focus on regional character. Lance Tolaio of Sam’s Grill in San Francisco describes Split Rail Vineyard as expressive and elegant, with aromas of pine, redwood and cedar and fruit notes including cranberry, cherry and blackberry. Kim Prokoshyn of Dunn & Sons Wine praises the freshness and vibrancy of Pinot Noir from the San Luis Obispo Coast. These tasting descriptions are the sommeliers’ assessments, not independently verified findings.
More Regions Join Pinot Noir’s Shortlist
The recommendations matter to shoppers facing a crowded Pinot Noir shelf and rising familiarity with a relatively small number of established regions. The sommeliers’ answers suggest that the grape is being made across a wider range of regions than many consumers may routinely explore, including Australia’s King Valley, German wine regions such as Baden, and Greek growing areas.
For buyers, the survey supplies starting points for asking a retailer about less familiar bottles and styles. It also emphasizes that “underrated” is a judgment, not a quality ranking: the article gathers professional opinions, but does not report a blind tasting, common scoring method or comparative price analysis. The appeal is discovery, with some recommendations potentially available at prices below better-known labels, although the source does not establish that this is true across the list.
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Pinot Noir Beyond Burgundy
Pinot Noir has a long association with Burgundy, but the VinePair report notes that it is now grown in wine regions around the world. It describes a broad stylistic range, from fuller, fruit-forward wines to lighter expressions with earthy or spicy notes. That variation can make the category difficult to navigate for shoppers who tend to return to a familiar bottle.
The survey’s regional suggestions include Baden and other German producers, coastal and mountain areas in California, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and places outside the usual American and European reference points. Respondents also discuss Greek Pinot Noir and Japan’s Coco Farm. The report presents these as recommendations from working sommeliers; it does not claim that they are the only overlooked choices or that all are equally available in U.S. shops.
““Herbal and light in body, but deeply complex — they’re wines for enjoyment as well as contemplation.””
— Christian DiNello, wine director at Indienne and Elder
The Full Recommendation List Is Missing
The source excerpt says the survey includes 16 sommeliers, but it does not supply all 16 complete responses. It also does not include a full methodology, respondent-selection criteria, or a single agreed definition of “underrated.” The recommendations therefore should be read as individual professional opinions rather than a representative survey of the wine trade or consumers.
The excerpt names several wines and regions but does not give complete vintage, price and availability details for every pick. Apart from Price’s stated $20 shop price for Redbank, readers should not assume that a bottle is available locally or at a particular price. The supplied material also cuts off during the discussion of Coco Farm, so details of that recommendation are incomplete.
Check Local Stock and the Full List
Readers interested in a recommendation can ask a wine retailer or restaurant whether the named producer or region is currently available, and confirm the vintage and price before buying. The source material does not announce a follow-up tasting, ranking or new release tied to the survey. The next useful step is access to the complete VinePair report, which would clarify the remaining respondents’ picks and provide the full set of recommendations.
Key Questions
What is the main development in the report?
VinePair asked 16 sommeliers to name the Pinot Noir they consider most underrated. The responses include individual bottles and broader regional recommendations.
Which specific bottle did one sommelier recommend?
Thomas Price recommended the 2021 Redbank Pinot Noir from Australia’s King Valley. He said it sells for $20 at his shop; that price may not apply elsewhere.
Which regions appear in the recommendations?
The supplied excerpt includes Australia’s King Valley, Germany, California’s Santa Cruz Mountains and San Luis Obispo Coast, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Greece and Japan. It does not include the complete set of 16 responses.
Does the report establish which Pinot Noir is objectively best?
No. The article presents the sommeliers’ opinions about underrated wines and regions. The provided material does not describe a blind tasting, shared scoring system or definitive ranking.
Source: vinepair.com
