Carignan

Origin and history

Carignan takes its name from Cariñena, a town in Aragon in north-east Spain, where it originated. It is known as Mazuelo in Rioja, Samsó in Catalonia and Carignano in Sardinia. Its high yields made it the workhorse of the Languedoc-Roussillon wine boom, and in 1988 it was France's most widely planted variety, with 167,000 hectares. European Union vine-pull schemes then cut French plantings to 95,700 hectares by 2000 and 53,155 hectares by 2009. In Spain it covered just 5,644 hectares in 2015. California once counted it among its three most planted varieties, but only 1,373 hectares remained in 2010. Interest has since shifted to the old, low-yielding vines that survived.

Where it grows

In France, Carignan is concentrated in the Aude, Gard and Hérault, where it is blended in appellations such as Corbières and Faugères. In Catalonia, bush vines over 100 years old on the schist slopes of Priorat produce concentrated wines, including L'Ermita, and neighbouring Montsant also relies on it. In Rioja it is a secondary blending grape, and the Cariñena appellation still bears its name. In Italy, 97% of plantings are in Sardinia, where Carignano del Sulcis is the main appellation. Chile's Maule Valley has old, unirrigated vines (675 hectares in 2008), and Lebanon's Château Musar includes it in its blend. California's Ridge Vineyards makes a varietal wine from vines planted in the 1880s.

Taste, wine styles and food

Carignan is a late-budding, late-ripening grape that needs a warm Mediterranean climate. It is naturally high in acidity, tannin and astringency, and gives deep colour, which made it a useful blending component but a hard grape to make elegant. Winemakers often use carbonic maceration to soften it, or blend it with Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. Old vines yield fewer, more concentrated grapes, and the best wines show dried cranberry and raspberry fruit with tobacco leaf, baking spices and a savoury, cured-meat note. Medium to full-bodied, Carignan pairs well with smoky grilled meats, spiced dishes, cassoulet, berry-based sauces and roast poultry with stuffing.

Carignan: questions and answers

Other red grapes

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir
• Syrah
• Grenache
• Cabernet Franc
• Tempranillo
• Nebbiolo
• Sangiovese
• Malbec
• Gamay
• Mourvèdre
• Zinfandel
• Petit Verdot
• Carmenère
• Touriga Nacional
• Cinsault
• Tannat
• Pinotage
• Pinot Meunier
• Aglianico
• Barbera
• Blaufränkisch