What's The Difference Between Pinot Noir And Cabernet Sauvignon?
Bunches of various grapes ready to be harvested
If you've ever stared blankly at a wine list, wondering whether you're more in a Pinot Noir mood or a Cabernet Sauvignon mood, you're not alone. They're two of the most famous red wines on the planet—but they couldn't be more different once you get to know them.
Think of Pinot and Cab like siblings at opposite ends of the family reunion: one's charming and a little high-maintenance, the other's bold and probably playing backyard football.
Here's your friendly guide to what really separates these two classic reds—and how to choose the right one for your glass.
Someone's hand pouring red wine into a wine glass in a home environment.
Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape that's famously delicate, which means it needs cooler climates and a lot of love (and luck) to thrive. It's light-bodied, often pale in color, and it tends to highlight fresh, pretty fruit flavors.
Cabernet Sauvignon, on the other hand, is basically the golden retriever of grapes: strong, adaptable, and happy almost anywhere, especially in warm climates. It's full-bodied, darker in color, and typically comes with a bigger flavor punch.
If Pinot Noir is ballet, Cabernet Sauvignon is a heavyweight boxing match—graceful versus powerful, but both seriously impressive.
mostly empty wine glass on top of freshly harvested pinot noir grapes in a bin
Pinot Noir tends to be lighter and brighter. Expect flavors like:
Good Pinot is all about elegance, balance, and subtlety. It's like a conversation at a fancy dinner party—you listen carefully and appreciate the nuance.
Cabernet Sauvignon goes bigger. It brings flavors like:
Good Cab is bold, structured, and often feels like it's laying out its argument in a booming voice. (And spoiler: it usually wins.)
Photo of red wine poured into glasses from bottle on blurred background of a vineyard right before ... More harvest, with hanging branches of grapes. With cork and vintage corkscrew
If you want something smooth and easygoing, Pinot's your pal. If you want something with serious structure that you can practically chew on (in a good way), go for Cab.
wine pour. Cheese and grapes in the background
Pinot Noir shines with lighter foods: roasted chicken, salmon, mushroom risotto, even a good old mushroom pizza. It's incredibly food-friendly because it's not trying to muscle over the meal.
Cabernet Sauvignon is built for big flavors: think grilled steak, braised short ribs, rich cheeses, and anything else that could use a strong, tannic hug.
One quick test: if the dish is delicate, reach for Pinot. If it's hearty enough to survive a medieval banquet, grab the Cab.
Shelves with a variety of quality wines in a store, restaurant or wine shop
Pinot Noir can be pricey because it's hard to grow and even harder to get just right. (Thanks, heartbreak grape.)
Cabernet Sauvignon tends to offer more reliable options at a range of prices, especially from places like California, Chile, and Australia.
That said, there's plenty of affordable Pinot out there—you just might have to hunt a little harder. (And maybe make friends with your local wine shop staff.)
Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon may both be red, but they're really two very different drinking experiences.
Go for Pinot when you're feeling elegant, a little contemplative, or when dinner is more about subtlety and finesse.
Reach for Cab when you want something bold, hearty, and unapologetically full of flavor.
Either way, you're winning—because the only real mistake is not having a second glass ready.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
After my marriage fell apart, darkness got to me. Then I was catfished
'You don't revere me anymore.' The words rolled off my tongue at my husband, who had been acting strangely for a few days. 'Revere?' he said with such distaste that it stunned me. Then I did what any wife married for 23 years might do: I read his emails. I wanted the truth. 'All she does is spend money!' screamed up at me from the computer screen. I wasn't in love with my husband anymore. I did still love him and had planned to sacrifice my happiness to make sure he was taken care of until the end. Read more: L.A. Affairs: He looked hot in his tight jeans, boots and cowboy hat. Would he ask me to dance? Then he betrayed me and let me off the hook. He didn't cheat. He talked behind my back in ways that I felt dishonored me. Imagine reading your husband's emails (I'm not perfect) and finding long conversations between him and his daughter about you. This from the man you've been with for 25 years! I suppose I knew this day would come. Money was always the bane of our relationship. My husband would not have initiated divorce because it would have cost him too much. Did I spend? Yes, I suppose, but only to improve our home in Culver City, give us a luscious yard and a new paved driveway. And that's not to mention all the trips we took to fascinating places. I had done a lot for him. Surprised him with a bar mitzvah in Jerusalem, brought his "mathematical art" to life through art shows and social media and planned our busy social schedule. I moved to the Pico-Robertson area to be close to my niece and her three kids. Darkness consumed me, but my face was masked with perpetual smiles. How do you begin again at 71? Friends tried to guide me to dating sites, but I wasn't ready. I took refuge in my apartment with my dog, Murray, who kept me alive through the COVID-19 pandemic, depression and divorce. My life consisted of walking the dog, writing children's books and binge-watching Netflix nightly. Read more: L.A. Affairs: For years, I juggled co-parenting, dating and taking care of a family cat I didn't like Once the divorce was over, loneliness won out. I moved to a new city an hour outside of L.A. Male attention came from a 31-year-old gardener who brought me flowers every Tuesday. 'I'm old enough to be your grandmother,' I said. I was feeling the need for male energy, but not with this young man. So I turned to online dating. I scrolled down the list of all my likes on a dating site. One man caught my eye. He was Jewish, intelligent and had a dog named Erik. I sent him a like back. 'Can you give me your number so we can text?' he asked. What could it hurt? The next two weeks were a whirlwind. We were in a textationship. I felt so high I stopped eating. I lost six pounds in three days. Jay enchanted me with all the romantic things that he was going to do for me. He sent me love songs. I wasn't just beautiful; I was extremely beautiful and I shouldn't worry about being overweight, he told me. He wanted a soulmate and convinced me that we were meant to be. Blown away by our connection, we both realized bashert (or fate) had won out. Read more: L.A. Affairs: I grew up on Disney princesses and fairy tales. Was I ready for my own happily ever after? I was the happiest I had been in many years. Finally something was going to come easy for me. But I wasn't naive. Red flags started to pop up. Jay and I had barely spoken on the phone when he told me that he had to be in Washington, D.C. for three weeks to work on a military base. He wouldn't be able to video chat, and if he did, he could get fired. On a Friday morning, two weeks into our relationship, I texted, 'I'm sorry, but I can't invest anymore into this relationship until I see you.' He asked if I could Skype. (Oh, remember Skype?) Red flag. Why not FaceTime? I waited all day Saturday for him to call. Nothing. On Sunday morning, I blocked him on my phone. Murray and I headed to the ocean. On Monday, unable to text me, he emailed. Hope reared its head again. "How can you give up all we shared together?" he asked. 'I so want you to be true, Jay, but I still need to see your face," I replied. At 7 a.m. Monday, he called. In bed with no makeup on, we met on Google Meet. I loved the face on his profile, but I didn't think this face was the same one I saw on-screen. I asked him why he said he was a New York native on his profile when I knew he grew up in Sweden. He shrugged it off as a small embellishment. I fake smiled and asked him to say something to me in Swedish. He mumbled something that meant 'bright day." My intuition was on fire. The guy had to be a liar. Read more: L.A. Affairs: Oh, how my body wanted my pickleball partner! Then he opened his big mouth Was he grooming me to ask for money? Was he trying to feel important? Did he want to inflict harm? Later that day, he sent me an email. 'I told you I couldn't talk on video and that I'd be home soon enough, and we could be together. Now, they've found out that I made a video call and I could get fired. I'm not sure this was worth it. I'm angry you didn't believe me.' (He allegedly did secret work as an engineer for the Department of Defense.) I texted back: 'Goodbye, Jay.' 'Wow, goodbye,' he answered. I could've gone back into depression, but I was already out. I felt empowered. Catfished or not, I have to thank Jay — or whatever his name really is. He put the pep back in my step even if he didn't mean a word of it. Through the ping-pong of our conversations, my darkness ceased to be. I realized that I was capable of feeling again. Whatever it was that we meant to each other, Mr. Catfish managed to give me the very thing I was missing: Hope. The author is an actor, writer and producer living in Southern California with her dog Murray. L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $400 for a published essay. Email LAAffairs@ You can find submission guidelines here. You can find past columns here. Sign up for The Wild newsletter to get weekly insider tips on the best of our beaches, trails, parks, deserts, forests and mountains. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
The markets are silent — that is worrying
Three decades ago I became fascinated by the concept of 'social silence' — or the idea advanced by intellectuals such as Pierre Bourdieu
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Security footage shows dog's dramatic showdown with full-sized bear inside California home
Security cameras captured a dramatic encounter between a dog and a full-sized black bear as they went snout-to-snout inside a California home last week. Monrovia resident Zoë Cadman shared video on social media of a large bear roaming around her backyard before making its way into her home shortly before midnight on June 14. Homeowners Get Surprise Visitor When Black Bear Crashes Through Ceiling Onto Stove The uninvited guest is seen strolling through Cadman's kitchen and sniffing items before eventually being confronted by the homeowner's 17-year-old dog named Doodle, KTLA reported. While Cadman had woken up in the middle of the night to discover the black bear wandering around her kitchen, she said Doodle ultimately was the one who sprang into action and chased the predator out of the house, according to KTLA. Man Drops Gun, Flees Charging Polar Bear By Hopping On Snowmobile, Video Shows Read On The Fox News App Security footage shows Doodle barking and growling at the large bear as it curiously sniffed the domesticated animal. Doodle is then seen walking out of the room, with the bear following behind. Florida Doorbell Camera Captures Alligator Up On Hind Legs, 'Knocking' On Door "Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to find a bear going through your fridge! Just 10 feet from your bed!" Cadman wrote in a Facebook post. "No, I didn't grab my phone. I apparently roared, and ran out the front door. Brave Doodle saved the day!" Earlier this year, Kentucky homeowners were met with a similar surprise when a black bear crashed through their ceiling. Officials said the bear had likely climbed a ladder and squeezed into the attic before crashing down into the kitchen. Zoë Cadman and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Security footage shows dog's dramatic showdown with full-sized bear inside California home
