02/15/05 Cinsault

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and on today's program we are going to explore the grape Cinsault and the wines that are made from it. We'll get right to that after this short break. The many grapes that make up important components of a blend will each lend a special characteristic to the wine. Cinsault spelled C-I-N-S-A-U-L-T is a grape variety that is primarily used in blending. It has a lighter color and mainly adds fruit flavors and perfume to the blend. In the southern part of France it is particularly well suited to making rose's. But don't let its relative unfamiliarity lead you to believe that it is a nothing grape. In fact it is one of the many contributors to the famous blended wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It is also contributor to the fragrance and fruit of the Minervois of southern France. But perhaps its greatest asset is that it is a variety that is drought tolerant and holds up in climates such as North and South Africa and Israel. This being the case it probably gained its greatest claim to fame when along with Pinot Noir it parented the famed South African grape Pinotage. The cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault has created a truly unique wine that as it is being produced with more knowledge and attention it is gaining a very robust following. It could be fun to seek out a few wines that have a high percentage of Cinsault in the blend, and see if by tasting side by side with a Pinotage, one could find the common characteristics that really say, I am Cinsault. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.