Misty mornings warm to sunny afternoons along the Central Coast of California, gently and slowly ripening the delicate Pinot Noir grapes that cling to vines throughout the region. This red grape varietal may be difficult to grow and prone to viticultural maladies, but the resulting juice is worth the effort. Very smooth and considered one of the most food-friendly reds, even white wine devotees will enjoy its silky medley of flavors that can range from black cherry, raspberries, and plum to anise, cedar, fresh earth, and more.

One of the oldest wine grapes cultivated, Pinot Noir (PEE-noh NWAHR) has been grown in France’s Burgundy region for what most believe is more than 2,000 years, and the country has been the largest producer of this varietal. Since the fruit likes a long, cool growing season, California’s Central Coast is also proving to be a good location, and many vintners have been refining their planting and growing methods to produce some delicious bottlings of this finicky grape that is thin-skinned and can threaten to ripen early. Stretching from San Francisco south to Los Angeles, the Central Coast includes the counties of Alameda, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and many smaller areas in between.

These areas all share the elements needed to nurture this sensitive grape—proximity to the Pacific Ocean provides the foggy, cool mornings, warm and sunny afternoons, and cool evenings that help keep the fruit acidity high and the sugar levels low. This can help produce good Pinot Noir that offers a delicate balance of acidity with the right amount of sweetness, low tannins, a velvety texture, and full mouth feel.

The best Pinot Noirs benefit from aging in high-quality oak barrels. The wine is drinkable young with two to five years of aging, when it displays its fruity characteristics of cherries, plums, raspberries, and strawberries. It also benefits from oak aging potential of three to 20 years when its complex character—including hints of chocolate, figs, and truffles—makes its appearance. Once bottled, most California Pinots reach their peak at three to six years from the vintage. Best served at a cool temperature of 55°–65° F, Pinot Noir pairs well with cheeses such as Swiss, Gruyere, Brie, or Roquefort, and meats such as beef, grilled or marinated poultry, lamb, and pork. More flavorful seafood is also a good pairing—grilled salmon, roasted sea bass and also sushi that is made with red-fleshed fish such as tuna work well with this classic red.