6 Dishes To Pair With Pinot Noir At Your Next Dinner Party

Last Updated on October 18, 2022 by Jason Nguyen

If you are someone who loves hosting dinner parties, you’ll know how important it is to ensure that you serve the perfect wine to accompany and complement your incredible homemade dishes. Today, we shine the spotlight on none other than Pinot Noir. Developed using black-skinned grapes that thrive in a narrow spectrum of cooler climates, this fruity wine is versatile with food and goes amazingly well with poultry, like chicken and duck, and pork. 

This is precisely what Pinot Noir a wine option that is always on the menu at any successful dinner party. If you’re surfing the web for some recipe inspiration to pair with a delicious glass of your favorite Pinot Noir, then you’ll be happy to hear that your search has come to an end.  From creamy broccoli tahini pasta to sweet and spicy sriracha honey wings – here are 6 incredible dishes that are guaranteed to pair seamlessly with a glass of pinot noir at your next dinner party. 

Image Credit: Delicious AU 

1. Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings

These twice-cooked Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings are the perfect spicy and sweet appetisers that are sure to get your guests talking. We love how the acidity of Pinot Noir counteracts the sweet heat in this mouthwatering starter, so be sure to crack open your finest bottle for your friends and loved ones to enjoy! 

Ingredients:

• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground smoked paprika
• 2kg chicken wings, tips removed

• Sunflower oil, for shallow-frying

• 2/3 cups sriracha
• 1 cup (250ml) runny honey
• 2 tbsp finely grated ginger
• Toasted sesame seeds, to serve
• Micro coriander, to serve

Method: 

1. Combine flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and paprika in a bowl and season with salt. Set aside a third of the flour mixture, then add chicken wings to the bowl and toss to coat well. 
2. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, then add the reserved flour mixture and toss to coat chicken. Place in the fridge for another 20 minutes (this will remove moisture from the chicken skin).
3. Half-fill a saucepan or deep-fryer with oil and heat to 180°C. In 3 batches, fry chicken wings for 6 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove from the fryer and drain excess oil.
4. Meanwhile, place sriracha, honey and ginger in a wok or a large deep frying pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. 
5. Add wings to sriracha mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes until sticky. Scatter with sesame seeds and micro-coriander to serve.

Image Credit: Taste

2. Mini Goat Cheese Tartlets 

Foodies all over the world will know that goat cheese is probably the best kind of cheese that matches the flavour of Pinot Noir. These mini tartlets are the ultimate dinner party dish that you can make up to one week in advance. All you have to do is prepare all your ingredients ahead of time and then bake to perfection once your guests have arrived. 

Ingredients:

• 2 red onions, halved, thinly sliced
• 65g dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 45g brown sugar
• 80ml water
• 1 sheet (measuring 25 x 25cm) frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, just thawed
• 100g goats cheese, crumbled
• 35g pecans, coarsely chopped
• Fresh thyme, to serve

Method:

1. Cook onions with oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until golden.
2. Combine your cranberries and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes to soak.
3. Add the cranberry mixture, sugar and water to the onion. Cook for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper, if preferred. Set aside for 1 hour to cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Use a 6cm-diameter pastry cutter to cut 16 discs from the pastry. 
5. Place the pastry discs on lined baking trays. Use a 4cm-diameter round pastry cutter to make a 1cm-wide border around the edge of each pastry disc. Be careful when cutting to ensure you don’t cut all the way through. Use a fork or chopsticks to prick the centre of each pastry disc all over.
6. Staying inside the border of your pastry discs, spread 1/2 teaspoon of your onion mixture over each. Top with goats cheese, pecans and thyme. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. 

3. Slow Roasted Pork Belly 

This crispy, slow-cooked pork roast is a perfect, totally simple, dinner party classic. Serve alongside roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables and of course, your favourite bottle of Pinot Noir, for the ultimate in hearty and indulgent dinners. 

Ingredients:

• 2kg piece boneless pork belly (skin on)
• 2 garlic cloves
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 onions, sliced

Method:

1. Using a sharp knife, lightly score your pork belly in a criss-cross pattern before setting aside.
2. Place garlic, ground cloves, caraway seeds, chilli, thyme and sea salt in a pestle and mortar and grind to a paste. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice. Rub the marinade over the pork and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
3. Arrange onion slices in a roasting pan and sit the pork on top. Roast for 30 minutes. 
4. Reduce oven temperature to 170°C, then roast for 3 hours or until the pork is tender and cooked through, with a crisp skin. 
5. Rest the pork belly for 20 minutes, then cut and serve with salad, steamed vegetables and your favourite roasted potatoes.

Image Credit: Delicious AU

4. Duck and Shiitake Risotto

Duck and Pinot Noir is an age-old pairing for a few reasons, with the most prominent being that they both offer moderate intensity, as the wine’s acidity balances out the fattiness of duck. This winning combo is what’s inspired us to add tis oven baked, asian-inspired risotto to this little list. We guaranteed that this dish will be a hit at your next dinner party. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 150g fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 350g arborio risotto rice
• 1.2L chicken stock
• 1/4 cup shaohsing rice wine 
• 2 tablespoons kecap manis 
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 Chinese barbecued duck, meat roughly chopped
• 1 bunch steamed baby bok choy

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat oil and cook onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms and rice, and stir for a further minute. 
2. Add stock and wine, bring to the boil, then transfer to a large greased baking dish. Cover with foil before baking for 20-25 minutes.
3. Stir in kecap manis, sesame oil and duck. Cover with foil once more and leave to stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Roughly chop bok choy, stir in and serve.

5. Classic Burgers

Nothing beats a hearty, gourmet homemade burger. So you’ll be sure to enjoy this delicious diner-style, hamburger recipe made from lean beef and dressed with generous amounts of whole-egg mayonnaise, cheese and of course, a good glass of your favourite Pinot. 

Ingredients:

• 450g lean beef mince
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup minced onion
• ¼ cup fine dried bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

To Serve: 

• 4 hamburger buns (store-bought or homemade) 
• 1/4 cup whole-egg mayonnaise
• 4 slices cheese 
• 4 iceberg lettuce leaves, rinsed and crisped
• 1 firm-ripe tomato, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 thin slices red onion

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix beef, egg, onion, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well blended. Divide this mixture into four equally sized patties, ideally measuring up at about 4 inches wide.
2. Lay burgers on an oiled barbecue grill and cook until browned on both sides. Remove from the grill.
3. Lay burger buns, cut side down, on grill and cook until lightly toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Spread mayonnaise on the bottoms. Add lettuce, tomato, burger, onion, and salt and pepper to taste before adding top bun.
5. Serve with chips, salad or your favourite sides. 

6. Creamy Tahini Broccoli Pasta

Last but certainly not least, this Creamy Tahini Broccoli Pasta is the perfect vegetarian main to serve to your meat-free guests. As an earthy yet still light red wine, Pinot Noir naturally pairs great with other earthy vegan foods, so you can confidently reach for a glass to accompany this hearty, plant-based meal. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 250g pasta of your choice
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Tahini Sauce:

• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method:

1. Make your tahini sauce first by combining all ingredients and stirring well. Set aside.
2. Bring salted water to a boil in order to cook your pasta. Cook according to packet instructions. 
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan and fry the broccoli until it starts to get tender, about 7-8 minutes. 
4. Drain the pasta and add the broccoli to the pan with the broccoli. Toss for 1 minute and then stir through the tahini sauce. Season to taste and serve. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed each and every one of these 6 amazing crowd-pleasers that pair perfectly with a glass of Pinot Noir! 

Have any other dishes that you like to pair with Pinot? Be sure to share your thoughts, ideas and suggestions in the comments section below!