Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story

Home Tasting articles

Pinot Meunier – the Beyoncé of English vineyards

Henry Jeffreys

Henry Jeffreys

Thursday 8 January 2026 • 2 min read

English wine sparkling wine white wine red wine

flowering Pinot Meunier vine

Once a bit player, Pinot Meunier is increasingly taking a starring role in English wines. Above, a Pinot Meunier vine at Langham in Dorset.

For Adrian and Galia Pike at Westwell vineyard in Kent, Pinot Meunier plays a role like Beyoncé in Destiny’s Child: the glue that holds the band together but also a star in her own right. Tommy Grimshaw at Langham in Dorset compares Meunier to an invaluable midfielder in football who doesn’t get the glory of the flashier players, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Pinot Meunier (known simply as Meunier in France) has been in England far longer...

Member

$135

/year

Save over 15% annually

Ideal for wine enthusiasts

Access 288,912 wine reviews & 15,881 articles
Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine

Pay with

Gift this membership

Inner Circle

$249

/year

Ideal for collectors

Access 288,912 wine reviews & 15,881 articles
Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance

See all available plans

Professional

$299

/year

For individual wine professionals

Access 288,912 wine reviews & 15,881 articles
Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing

Gift this membership

Business

$399

/year

For companies in the wine trade

Access 288,912 wine reviews & 15,881 articles
Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing

Number of seats:

See all available plans

More Tasting articles

Ryan Pass

Tasting articles

New(ish) and notable in California

Some promising representatives of the next generation of California wine brands. Above, w inemaker Ryan Pass of Pass Wines (photo...

Les Halles de Narbonne

Tasting articles

France's most progressive region? Languedoc reds, part 2

Ninety-nine wines showing the dazzling diversity of this often-underestimated region. Part 1 was published yesterday. See also Languedoc whites –...

September sunset Domaine de Montrose

Tasting articles

France's most progressive region? Languedoc reds, part 1

Tam thinks so – and has nearly 200 red-wine recommendations to show for it. Come back tomorrow for the second...

Wild sage in the rocky soils of Cabardès

Tasting articles

Languedoc – the buzzword is garrigue

The keystone of Languedoc viticulture, explored. See also Languedoc whites – looking to the future. ‘Follow me!’ And I do...

More from JancisRobinson.com

J&B Burgundy tasting at the IOD in Jan 2026

2024 burgundies in vineyard and glass

What to make of this exceptional vintage after London’s Burgundy Week? Small, undoubtedly. And not exactly perfectly formed. A version...

Wildfires in Chile, New Zealand floods, South Africa starts harvest, Prosecco sales strong

Also covered: the WHO again asks member states to raise alcohol taxes; more tariff drama; Champagne sales continue their slide...

The Marrone family, parents and three daughters

Wines of the week

Marrone, Che Vale Nebbiolo, Langhe

An incredibly refreshing Nebbiolo from a sustainably-minded family that sells for as little as €17.50, $24.94, £22.50. - - -...

Aerial view of various Asian ingredients

Inside information

Matching wine with Asian food, part 5 – sweet/savoury and umami

Part five of an eight-part series on how to pair wine with Asian flavours, adapted from Richard’s book. Click here...

Vineyards of Domaine Vaccelli on Corsica

Inside information

Uncorking Corsica

Once on the fringes, Corsica has emerged as one of France’s most compelling wine regions. Paris-based writer Yasha Lysenko explores...

Vietnamese pho at Med

Nick on restaurants

More pho, please

Nick highlights something the Brits lack but the French have in spades – and it’s not French cuisine. This week...

Australian wine tanks and grapevines

The world is awash with unwanted wine. A version of this article is published by the Financial Times. Above, a...

Fires in South Africa, Australia and Argentina, FB bans, state of the US wine industry report

Plus an update on France’s ban on copper-containing fungicides for organic viticulture. Above, fire in South Africa’s Overberg, sent by...