How to pronounce Cinsault

What is Cinsault?

A black grape variety from southern France producing light, soft, perfumed red wines, widely used in blends and for dry rosé, also spelled Cinsaut.

Cinsault is an old black grape variety from southern France, thought to have originated in the Hérault, in the Languedoc. It is also planted in Provence and the southern Rhône. Both spellings are in use: some reference works and growers write Cinsaut, while many labels print Cinsault.

The vine copes well with heat and drought and bears large bunches of large berries. Its wines are medium in color, relatively low in alcohol and gentle in tannin, with aromas of raspberry, tart cherry and violet. In red blends it is paired with fuller grapes such as Grenache, Carignan, Syrah and Mourvèdre to add softness and perfume. The same lightness makes it a common ingredient in dry rosé, including the rosés of Provence.

Outside France, its tolerance of dry conditions made it important in North Africa, Lebanon and South Africa. In South Africa it was long known as Hermitage, and in the 1920s Abraham Perold crossed it with Pinot Noir to create Pinotage. In Puglia in southern Italy it goes by the name Ottavianello. In Lodi, California, the Bechthold vineyard, planted in 1886, is still producing.

When you shop, expect to find Cinsault inside a blend more often than on the front label. Bottles that name it as the single grape can be found from South Africa, Chile's Itata Valley, California and the Languedoc. Either spelling may appear.

Cinsault, syllable by syllable

Why Cinsault is hard to say

In French, the letters in before a consonant do not spell a vowel plus n. They spell one nasal vowel, with the air passing through the nose and no n at the end. That is why the first syllable is respelled san and not sin. The same sound closes Chambertin and opens Saint-Émilion.

The second half looks heavy on paper but is short when spoken. French au is a plain "oh", as in Sauvignon and Sauternes, and final consonants are usually silent, as in Merlot and Pinot. Here both the l and the t drop. The spelling Cinsaut, without the l, is said exactly the same way. French puts a light emphasis on the last syllable; English moves it to the first, which gives the established form SAN-soh.

Tips for saying it

How to order Cinsault

On a wine list, Cinsault usually signals a light, fresh red that can be served slightly cool, or one of the grapes in a pale rosé. Say it in two even beats and let the ending stay open. In English conversation the established form SAN-soh is fine to use.

• “Do you have a light red by the glass, maybe a Cinsault?” Two beats, ending on an open oh.
• “Is this rosé mostly Grenache or Cinsault?”

Names often confused with Cinsault

• Grenache (greh-NAHSH): The usual blending partner in southern French reds and rosés; it brings more alcohol and body than Cinsault.
• Pinotage (PIN-oh-tahj): A South African crossing of Cinsault and Pinot Noir, named from Pinot and Hermitage, the old local name for Cinsault.
• Mourvèdre (moor-VEDR): Another southern French blending grape, but dark, tannic and full-bodied where Cinsault is pale and soft.
• Provence (proh-VAHNSS): The region whose dry rosés often include Cinsault.

Questions about pronouncing Cinsault

How do you pronounce Cinsault?

In French, Cinsault is pronounced san-SOH, with two syllables, a nasal first vowel, a light stress on the second syllable and no l or t sound at the end. In English the established form is SAN-soh, with the stress on the first syllable, and it is accepted.

Are the l and t silent in Cinsault?

Yes. Neither letter is sounded, in French or in the English form. The word ends on an open "oh" as in "so". This is why the grape can also be written Cinsaut without any change in how it is said.

Is it Cinsault or Cinsaut?

Both spellings are used for the same grape, and both are said san-SOH. Cinsaut, the older form, is used by some reference works and growers. Cinsault, with the l, is common on labels and is the headword in Merriam-Webster.

What does Cinsault taste like?

Cinsault makes light to medium-bodied wines with relatively low alcohol and soft tannins. Typical aromas are raspberry, tart cherry, redcurrant and violet. In rosé blends it adds softness and perfume.

What is the difference between Cinsault and Pinotage?

Cinsault is an old southern French grape. Pinotage is a separate variety created in South Africa in the 1920s by crossing Cinsault with Pinot Noir. Pinotage usually gives darker, fuller wines, while Cinsault on its own is lighter in color and body.

Sources: Merriam-Webster: Cinsault, Wikipedia: Cinsaut, Tablas Creek Vineyard: Cinsaut, Wikipedia: Pinotage. Last reviewed 2026-10-10.