Cinsault

Mediterranean rosé and Pinotage parent.

Cinsault is a heat-loving Mediterranean grape that produces pale, low-tannin reds and forms the backbone of much Provence rosé alongside Grenache. Old-vine, low-yielding plantings — particularly in South Africa's Swartland and the Languedoc — have driven a quality renaissance, producing perfumed, lighter-bodied reds with red-cherry and rose-petal character. The grape was crossed with Pinot Noir in 1925 to produce South Africa's Pinotage. North African plantings (Algeria, Morocco) remain significant but go mostly into bulk wines.