QUENCH YOUR THIRST WITH BEVERAGE KNOWLEDGE

Pinot noir is the meat-and-potatoes of red wines (appropriate enough, given that it's often well-paired with meat and potatoes.)  It's often a flavorful wine that contains a bit of everything people expect in a good red: fruity, yet dry; complex and tannic. It's usually better aged for at least a couple of years, and you often see a lot of vintners compensating for this and selling a younger pinot by blending it with a bit of something sweeter (often merlot.) Pinot's an almost-always reliable varietal, though; if you're perusing a wine list and you see a decent 3-5 year