Probably no other wine grape is so heartily praised and at the same time cursed as Pinot Noir. It has been famously dubbed “the heartbreak grape” because it is so difficult to grow, to vinify, and to find truly great examples of what may be the most wonderful wine in the world. But if you saw the 2004 movie “Sideways” you saw the sensual passion it can evoke.
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest grape varieties to be cultivated for the purpose of making wine. Ancient Romans vinified it as early as the first century AD. To this day the finest examples, and the world-wide benchmark, come from Burgundy, France. Pinot is planted in regions around the world including : Oregon, California, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Italy. More than almost any other varietal, Pinot Noir takes on the characteristics of its terroir, or region, including soil type, moisture, and climate. The tremendous range of bouquets, flavors and textures can sometimes confuse tasters. In the broadest terms it will be of light to medium body with aromas ranging from black cherry to raspberry or currant. It can pick up “barnyard” aromas but also scents of leather and tobacco, but lately, thanks to globalization, it is packing more fruit. Other flavor descriptors include ripe tomato, black berries, light spice, and mushrooms. One of its most appealing qualities is its soft, velvety texture. It can feel like liquid silk, gently caressing the palate. Indeed, one female Master Sommelier calls pinot “sex in a glass”.
But the most wonderful thing about Pinot Noir is how well it goes with a huge variety of cuisines. It is particularly delicious with mushrooms, poultry, ham, lamb, plain roast beef, and pork. It is wonderful with pizza and pasta. And it is sublime with salmon and tuna and the perfect red wine to have with any type of fin fish. I like it with Asian or Italian, New World or Old. In fact, if I could only have one variety of wine for the rest of my life, make it Pinot Noir.
Understandably, some bottles of this great grape from Burgundy sell for over $300, and that is upon release. They go even higher at auction. In California and Oregon vintners have been improving site and clonal selections, vinification techniques and growing methods searching for the magic. They are trying high altitudes, fog covered valleys, cold Pacific coasts and organic farming. Even from these American sources prices range from $10 to $100. I think you can find excellent value and a good to great representation if you stick to a few basics.
The top regions to look for are: Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Carneros, Santa Maria Valley, Anderson Valley, and Monterey County (aka Central Coast) in California; the Willamette Valley in Oregon; and even New Zealand (Central Otago, Marlborough).
Vintage means a lot more in Oregon and New Zealand than it will in California, but check with your merchant. A real great entry level budget choice is Castle Rock, usually $10-12. 
In the same range try Cartlidge & Browne. For about $20-25 you can try the wines of Pinot pioneer Josh Jensen at Calera Central Coast, or Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, or David Bruce. Also look for Wild Horse, Talley, and Rodney Strong. At this price point you can try Oregon wines from Argyle, Amity, Erath Vineyards, and Willamette Valley.
All the wine merchants I have mentioned in past postings will have a great selection. You will soon learn how different each producer treats their Pinot Noir and the resulting flavor profiles will help you learn what you like. If you get hooked, you will start looking for very specific regions and even single vineyard bottlings. Some of the larger ones, such as Hirsch and Dutton sell to multiple producers. And some top producers only make wine from their own vineyards.
Here I’ve just brushed the surface. I will return to this grape in the future. Also note that Pinot Noir is one of the main components of Champagne and sparkling wine. In the case of rose, it may be 100% Pinot Noir. Now that’s sexy!