Is Meiomi Pinot Noir sweet?
Meiomi Pinot Noir is technically a dry wine, but it is very ripe and jammy, so it tastes noticeably sweeter and richer than most Pinot Noir.
Meiomi Pinot Noir · Pinot Noir · California coast · most grocery stores, Target and Costco
- Alcohol
- About 13.5% to 13.7%
- Sweetness
- Not labeled sweet, but about 20 g/L of sugar
- Grapes
- Pinot Noir
- Made by
- Meiomi, owned by The Wine Group since 2025
- From
- Monterey, Santa Barbara and Sonoma counties, California
- Price
- About $18 to $24
- Calories
- About 125 to 135 in a 5 oz glass
What it tastes like
Strawberry jam, cherry cola and a bit of mocha. It is plush and smooth, much fuller than the light, earthy Pinot Noir you might have had at a restaurant.
- Bodylight → big
- Sweetnessdry → sweet
- Zingsoft → zippy
- Gripsmooth → grippy
Is it worth $22?
If you like that rich, jammy style, it delivers it reliably for about $22. If you want a more classic, lighter Pinot, La Crema Sonoma Coast is the better spend at a similar price.
Who it’s for
Perfect for people who say they do not usually like red wine, and for anyone moving over from sweeter blends. Pinot purists will find it a bit too sugary-tasting.
How to serve it
Chill it for 20 minutes. Pinot Noir tastes fresher a little cool, and it tames the jamminess.
The backstory
Meiomi was created in 2006 by Joseph Wagner, whose family makes Caymus, which explains a lot about that plush, rich style. It got so popular that Constellation Brands bought it in 2015 for $315 million, then sold it to The Wine Group in 2025 along with Woodbridge and Mondavi Private Selection. The wine blends grapes from three coastal counties, sees plenty of oak, and keeps a fair bit of leftover grape sugar, which is the secret behind the jammy, cherry-cola taste.
How it compares
- Meiomi vs La Crema Pinot Noir
La Crema is drier, brighter and more like a classic Pinot Noir for a few dollars more; stick with Meiomi if you want it lush and jammy.
- Meiomi vs Bread & Butter Pinot
Bread & Butter is a little cheaper and also soft and smooth, but less sugary-rich; a nice middle step if Meiomi feels too sweet.
- Meiomi vs Apothic Red
Apothic is sweeter, heavier and half the price; pick Meiomi if you want something smoother and a bit more polished.
What to eat with it
Questions people ask
- Does Meiomi Pinot Noir have added sugar?
- Meiomi doesn't say how its sugar gets there, but lab numbers show around 19 to 22 grams per liter, roughly 3 grams in a glass, versus close to zero in most dry Pinot. In 2024 a Sonoma winemaker ran an ad saying one bottle of Meiomi has more sugar than 32 bottles of his wine; when the owner's lawyers wrote to him, he sent back his lab results.
- Who owns Meiomi wine?
- The Wine Group, the company behind Cupcake and Franzia, since June 2025. Before that it belonged to Constellation Brands, which bought it from founder Joseph Wagner in 2015.
- Where is Meiomi made?
- In California, from grapes grown in Monterey, Santa Barbara and Sonoma counties. That is why the label names the whole coast instead of one region.
- What does Meiomi mean?
- It comes from a Native Californian word (Wappo and Yuki) for "coast", a nod to the coastal vineyards the grapes come from.
- How much is Meiomi Pinot Noir?
- About $18 to $24 for a 750 ml bottle. Costco and Target are usually at the low end, and it goes on sale often.
- How many calories are in Meiomi Pinot Noir?
- Meiomi doesn't publish a number. With about 13.5% alcohol plus that extra sugar, a 5 oz glass is likely around 125 to 135 calories, slightly more than a bone-dry Pinot.
If you like this, try
- Bread & Butter PinotPinot Noir · about $15Good buy
- La Crema Pinot NoirPinot Noir · about $25Drink this one
- Apothic RedRed blend (Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon) · about $10Good buy
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Last checked 2026-10-04. Moxie Vino isn’t affiliated with Meiomi; this is our honest take. Bottle photo: Meiomi.