Hey, it’s not that I’ve been brainwashed by Sideways — I really just like the welcoming taste and body of Pinot Noir. And maybe you do, too.

So, aficionados: a don’t-miss piece by Food&Wine’s Ray Isle with four “star selections,” including a 2006 Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir for $20.

Sure, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon still dominate sales. But, as Isle says:

Pinot is undeniably America’s hot grape of the moment. Its sales have risen more than 20 percent a year for the past few years, and most top sommeliers sing its praises as a partner for food.

Bonus: Isle sipped 147 Pinot Noirs to come up with a longer list of 30 that serve up “complex, intense aromas; textures that are somehow both firm and weightless; and flavors that seem to effortlessly balance the fruity (raspberries, cherries, strawberries) with the savory (earth, mushrooms, pepper).”

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