How to pronounce Carignan

What is Carignan?

A black grape variety of Spanish origin, widely planted in southern France, producing deeply colored red wines with high acidity and firm tannins, also known as Cariñena or Mazuelo.

Carignan is a black-skinned wine grape. Its origins are Spanish, probably in Aragon, and the name is linked to the town of Cariñena there. Today it is better known from France, where most plantings are in the Languedoc and Roussillon. It was once the most planted grape in France, and vine-pull schemes have since reduced its area sharply.

The grape goes by several names. In Spain it is Cariñena, Mazuelo in Rioja, and Samsó or Carinyena in Catalonia, where old vines in Priorat are prized. In Sardinia it is Carignano, as in the appellation Carignano del Sulcis. In California the name is usually spelled Carignane, and in Chile old vines grow without irrigation in Maule.

The wines are deep in color, with high acidity and firm tannins, and the style is often described as bold and spicy. Carignan is most often blended with Grenache and Syrah in southern French reds such as Corbières, Minervois and Fitou. Labels that mention old vines, vieilles vignes in French, are worth noticing, because low-yielding old vines give more concentrated wines.

Carignan, syllable by syllable

Why Carignan is hard to say

In French the letters gn stand for a single sound, the ny you hear in the middle of "canyon" or "lasagna". The g is not sounded on its own. The same rule gives you the ny in Champagne, in Sauvignon and in the last syllable of Pessac-Léognan, which ends exactly like Carignan.

The ending -an is a nasal vowel. The n is not pronounced as a consonant; it tells you to let the ah resonate through the nose, as in blanc or Sancerre. It is a different vowel from the -on of Sauvignon, which is rounder. French also has no strong word stress, so the light emphasis falls on the last syllable. English forms of the word often move the weight to the front.

Other accepted pronunciations

These are also correct, and Vinolingo scores them as correct:

• kar-uh-NYAHN — Established English form.
• KAR-uh-gun — Established American English form, with a hard g.

Tips for saying it

How to order Carignan

On a French list the grape is often hidden inside a blend under a place name, so it helps to ask whether a red is Carignan based. Say kah-ree-NYAHN and let the last syllable ring through the nose. The English form kar-uh-NYAHN is fine in any shop or restaurant, and in the United States you will also hear KAR-uh-gun.

• “Do you have an old-vine Carignan from the Languedoc?” Ends on NYAHN.
• “Is this Corbières mostly Carignan or mostly Syrah?”

Names often confused with Carignan

• Cariñena (kah-ree-NYEH-nah): The Spanish name of the same grape and of a town and wine region in Aragon; the ñ is the same ny sound as the French gn.
• Grenache (greh-NAHSH): The usual blending partner of Carignan in southern France, softer and lower in acidity and tannin.
• Mourvèdre (moor-VEDR): Another Mediterranean black grape of Spanish origin that appears in the same southern French blends.
• Pessac-Léognan (peh-SAK lay-oh-NYAHN): A Bordeaux appellation whose last syllable is spelled and said the same way as the end of Carignan.

Questions about pronouncing Carignan

How do you pronounce Carignan?

In French, Carignan is pronounced kah-ree-NYAHN, with three syllables, a ny sound for the letters gn, a nasal ah at the end and a light stress on the last syllable. In English, kar-uh-NYAHN is an established form and is also accepted.

Is the g silent in Carignan?

In French the g is not sounded by itself. The letters gn work together as one sound, the ny of "canyon", so the last syllable is NYAHN. Merriam-Webster also records an American form with a hard g, KAR-uh-gun, so you will hear both in the United States.

How do you pronounce Carignan in American English?

Merriam-Webster lists kar-uh-NYAHN and kar-uh-NYAN, close to the French, along with KAR-uh-gun, which has a hard g and the stress on the first syllable. All are established forms. The French form is kah-ree-NYAHN.

Are Carignan, Cariñena and Mazuelo the same grape?

Yes. Carignan is the French name. In Spain the grape is called Cariñena, or Mazuelo in Rioja, and in Catalonia it is Samsó or Carinyena. In Sardinia it is Carignano and in California it is usually spelled Carignane. Cariñena is also the name of a wine region in Aragon.

What does Carignan wine taste like?

Carignan gives deeply colored red wine with high acidity and firm tannins. The style is often described as bold and spicy. Wines from old, low-yielding vines are more concentrated, and many southern French producers blend the grape with Grenache and Syrah.

Sources: Wiktionnaire: carignan, Merriam-Webster: Carignane, Jancis Robinson: Carignan, Wikipedia: Carignan. Last reviewed 2026-10-10.