CINSAULT

Cinsault is a red wine grape variety traditionally used as a blending partner for Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre as part of the classic Southern Rhône red wine blends and is one of the permitted grape varieties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It's tolerance to heat and productivity make it an important variety in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region of France and the former French colonies of Algeria and Morocco.

It is often blended with grapes such as Grenache and Carignan to add softness and bouquet yet it is fairly unusual to see Cinsault produced as a straight varietal wine, except as a rosé, in which it expresses itself as a light, aromatic and refreshing wine.

In the 1920's Cinsault was crossed with the Pinot Noir grape variety to create what has become South Africa's signature grape variety, Pinotage.