CINSAUT, THE FRENCH COLONIES’ WINE

Cinsaut also known as Cinsault is an ancient red wine that started being produced at the French colonies of Algeria and Morocco. We usually find it blended with other grapes as Carignane or Grenache.

Tangier

This wine became very popular in Algeria as its drought resistance and nowadays is very popular in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France and South Africa where it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cinsaut grapes offer great perfume and when transformed into wine, they could become great rose wines or they could be blended with other red varietals. Back in the days, the North African plantings were shipped across the Mediterranean Sea from the French colonies to France. This type of grape used to be known as “Hermitage” in South Africa and when it was later blended with Pinot Noir it was renamed as “Pinotage”.

The best rose wines produced from Cinsaut are the ones from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape, located in the southeastern part of France near Avignon and Orange. The altitude in this regions reaches 120 meters and their terroirs are famous for the “galets roules” (round rocks/pebbles) that cover the clay soil. These rocks retain the heat from the sun, releasing it at night, helping with the ripening of the grapes in a short period of time.

Father’s Day is around the corner, why don’t you plan an exotic Moroccan night for your father or beloved husband?

Go to your nearest fresh market, grab some spices like cumin, ginger and paprika; cook a Moroccan style lamb with prunes and apricots, add some eggplant appetizers and saffron rice and you are ready to go!

Don’t forget to bring a French Cinsaut like the 2006 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf-du-Pape.



The Blue Gate - Fes

Note: A couple of years ago, I actually walked thru The Blue Gate at Fes and it was an amazing moment in my life!

Happy Father’s Day!