Red grape variety
Cinsault
A pale, low-tannin southern French variety, important in rosé and enjoying a revival as a light red.
What is Cinsault?
Cinsault gives pale, soft, fragrant wine and is a mainstay of Provence rosé, where its low colour and high aromatic lift are exactly what is wanted.
South Africa’s old Cinsault bush vines, once used for bulk wine, are now producing some of the country’s most admired light reds.
It is one of Pinotage’s two parents.
Southern France.
What it tastes like
This is the envelope across every expression of Cinsault, not a description of one bottle. Wide ranges are the honest answer.
| Dimension | Typical | Range | Variation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | low | Consistent | |
| Acidity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Tannin | low-medium | Some variation | |
| Alcohol | medium | Some variation | |
| Body | low-medium | Some variation | |
| Fruit intensity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Aromatic intensity | medium | Consistent | |
| Oak influence | low | Consistent | |
| Savoury character | low-medium | Consistent | |
| Floral character | medium | Some variation | |
| Herbal / green character | low | Consistent | |
| Spice | low | Consistent | |
| Earthy character | low | Consistent | |
| Perceived freshness | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Texture | medium | Some variation |
Common flavours
Wines made from it
The same grape in different places and different hands. These are where the wide ranges above resolve into something specific.
Dry rosé
Pink wines made from black grapes with brief skin contact — dry, fresh and far more food-friendly than their reputation.
Light-bodied dry red
Pale, low-tannin reds with bright acidity and red-fruit character — the reds that suit a light chill and don’t overwhelm food.
France
Provence rosé
The pale, dry, herb-scented rosé that set the international template for pink wine.
France
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The southern Rhône’s flagship: a warm, powerful, herb-scented Grenache-led blend from stony vineyards near Avignon.
France
Southern Rhône blend
Grenache-led Mediterranean blends — warm, herbal and generous, and among the most reliable value in French wine.
Lebanon
Bekaa Valley Red
High-altitude Mediterranean blends of Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet from one of the oldest wine regions on earth.
France
Languedoc red
Mediterranean blends from France’s largest wine region — warm, herbal and increasingly serious.
South Africa
Swartland Syrah and Rhône blends
Low-intervention Syrah and GSM blends from old dry-farmed Swartland vines — the centre of South Africa’s new-wave movement.
Chile
País
Chile’s oldest variety, from century-old dry-farmed bush vines — pale, savoury and the centre of the country’s small-producer revival.
Where it grows
- Bekaa Valley — Lebanon
- Côtes de Provence — France
- Bandol — France
- Southern Rhône — France
- Swartland — South Africa
If you like Cinsault, try…
Every suggestion says why it is connected and what will be different.
Closest matches
What is most like this?
Gamay
Both are light, juicy, low-tannin reds that take a chill well.
More granitic and higher in acid.
Pinot Meunier
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fuller and richer, and fresher.
Beaujolais
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be more oaky, and fresher.
Similar but lighter
Something like this, but lighter?
Schiava
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and leaner and more cutting.
English still Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be earthier, and fresher and more acidic.
Poulsard
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be earthier, and less floral.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Something like this, but less alcoholic?
Grolleau
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be sweeter, and less floral.
English still Pinot Noir
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be earthier, and fresher and more acidic.
Schiava
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be lighter, and more restrained in fruit.
Similar but fuller
Something like this, but richer?
Grenache
Its constant blending partner.
Fuller, riper and much higher in alcohol.
Gamay
Both are light, juicy, low-tannin reds that take a chill well.
More granitic and higher in acid.
Southern Rhône blend
Both are made from cinsault, and they occupy similar territory for weight and structure, both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more herbal and green.
What to eat with it
Ranked by WineHQ's pairing engine, which reasons from the structure of the dish.
Fillet steak
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Asparagus
Works because bitterness in the dish and tannin in the wine accumulate rather than balance.
Fresh cheese
Works because a heavy wine would bury a delicate dish.
Tortilla española
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
Turkey
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Artichoke
Works because bitterness in the dish and tannin in the wine accumulate rather than balance.
What to avoid with it
Dishes the pairing engine scores badly, and the principle that explains why. A short list: most things are fine.
How to serve it
Temperature
12–14°C
54–57°F · Lightly chilled
About 45 minutes to an hour in the fridge from room temperature, or take it out of the fridge about an hour before serving.
Decanting
No need to decant
Nothing about this wine suggests it needs decanting. Light, aromatic and sparkling wines generally lose more than they gain.
Glass
Burgundy bowl
A wide bowl gives a delicate, aromatic red more surface area to release aroma, and directs it to the nose from a wider rim.
Ageing
Wines made from this grape are generally at their best within a few years.
Valued for perfume and softness rather than structure, whether in southern French blends, Lebanese reds or the revived old-vine bottlings of the Swartland. Best drunk young and often lightly chilled; it is blended with sturdier varieties when a wine needs to last.
Family tree
Established by DNA analysis. Ampelography alone could not have found these relationships.
Offspring
Sources
Sources consulted
- Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) — Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof
- Wines of South Africa — WOSA