The sordid affair – Pinot Noir and Cinsault…
You may be thinking what can be so sordid about a couple of innocent grapes…well the result of this affair produced the grape we all know and love, Pinotage.
Yes, Pinotage is a South African invention that has been around since the 1950s. It is a hybrid of the aforementioned classic varieties. All the delicate light-heartedness of the Pinot Noir grape combined with the more tannic, plummy structure of the Cinsault grape.
Why the name?
In order to keep you guessing, the South Africans actually renamed Cinsault to be Hermitage (not to be confused with French Hermitage which is entirely Syrah!).
Just another fascinating fact you can pull out at the dinner table!
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