Red grape variety
Cornalin
A rescued Valais red with dark fruit, firm acidity and a sour-cherry bite.
What is Cornalin?
Cornalin was nearly lost — down to a few hectares by the 1970s — and was revived deliberately by Valais growers who valued its distinctiveness over its difficulty.
It is late-ripening and irregular in yield, which is why it nearly disappeared, and it produces a dark, firm wine with a sour-cherry bite that sets it apart from the Pinot Noir and Gamay that dominate Swiss red plantings.
The name overlaps with an unrelated Aostan variety, which is worth knowing before comparing notes across the border.
The Valais, Switzerland. Confusingly, the variety called Cornalin in the Valle d’Aosta is a different grape — Humagne Rouge — and the two are frequently mixed up in older writing.
What it tastes like
This is the envelope across every expression of Cornalin, 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 | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Alcohol | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Body | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Fruit intensity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Aromatic intensity | medium | Consistent | |
| Oak influence | low | Consistent | |
| Savoury character | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Floral character | low | Consistent | |
| Herbal / green character | low | Consistent | |
| Spice | medium | Some variation | |
| Earthy character | low | Consistent | |
| Perceived freshness | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Texture | medium | Consistent |
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.
Where it grows
- Valais — Switzerland
If you like Cornalin, try…
Every suggestion says why it is connected and what will be different.
Closest matches
What is most like this?
Mondeuse Noire
The neighbouring Alpine red, with the same firm acidity and peppery, sour-fruited character.
Mondeuse is more overtly peppery.
Valais Cornalin
Both are made from cornalin, and the structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, both come from the same country.
Expect it to be more oaky.
Bobal
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be less spicy, and more fruit-driven.
Similar but lighter
Something like this, but lighter?
Mondeuse Noire
The neighbouring Alpine red, with the same firm acidity and peppery, sour-fruited character.
Mondeuse is more overtly peppery.
Trousseau
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be less tannic and softer, and more fruit-driven.
Colorino
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and less spicy.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Something like this, but less alcoholic?
Mondeuse Noire
The neighbouring Alpine red, with the same firm acidity and peppery, sour-fruited character.
Mondeuse is more overtly peppery.
Trousseau
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be lighter, and less tannic and softer.
Cru Beaujolais
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect it to be more floral, and less spicy.
Similar but fuller
Something like this, but richer?
Uruguayan Tannat
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more oaky, and broader and softer.
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more oaky, and fruitier.
Ribera del Duero
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more oaky, and earthier.
What to eat with it
Ranked by WineHQ's pairing engine, which reasons from the structure of the dish.
Roast chicken
Works because the protein and fat in the dish soften the tannin and let the fruit show.
Fillet steak
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Pork
Works because the protein and fat in the dish soften the tannin and let the fruit show.
Turkey
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Beef stew
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
Lamb
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
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
15–17°C
59–63°F · Cellar cool
Most modern rooms are warmer than this. Twenty to thirty minutes in the fridge before serving usually gets a red into range.
Decanting
Worth decanting
Young, firmly tannic wine often softens noticeably with an hour of air — the most reliable case for decanting.
Glass
Bordeaux glass
A taller, narrower bowl directs a tannic wine past the front of the palate. The effect is real but modest.
Ageing
Most wines made from this grape are for drinking now, but certain styles reward keeping.
The better Valais bottlings hold and improve over about five years, the sour-cherry bite softening without disappearing. Most Cornalin is drunk within three, and the variety was revived for its distinctiveness rather than its longevity.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) — Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof