Cinsault Wines

Cinsault Wines from Great Wines Direct.

Red grapes known as Cinsault, or Cinsaut, are typically used to make Provençal rosé and blends from the southern Rhône region.

Although the Cinsault's exact origins are unknown, it has been grown for generations in southern France and is one of the eighteen types allowed in the renowned Châteauneuf-du-Pape region.

A significant grape variety in Lebanon, northern Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and portions of Italy, Cinsault is also strangely adaptable to hot, dry weather.

South Africans crossed the varietal with Pinot Noir in the 1920s to produce Pinotage, which is now considered the national grape of South Africa. 

Cinsault presents itself stylistically as light, fragrant, and refreshing with rosé wines, for which it is suited due to its lighter skin and gentle perfume.

It is rarely made as a red wine varietal since winemakers prefer to combine Cinsault with Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, or Mourvedre. Here, it gives such wines a certain level of softness and fragrance.