Okay, well these are the C-words in France. And other parts of the world…well, at least in the vineyards of the world.

These two grapes are not well known by many, but boy are they freakin' awesome and important.

Carignan is a red grape thought to have originated in southern Spain, and was/is prominent in Algeria, Sardinia, and southern France. But, you will also find it as a main grape in northeastern Spain's ruddy & rugged Priorat region. It ripens slowly, so it thrives well in consistently warm regions with long growing seasons.

Carignan is well known for having dark, intense red ink, as well as uber-astringent tannins & acidity. Sounds yummy, right?? Errr….well…with those characteristics, it actually does makes an excellent blending grape; kind of like adding that dash of hot sauce to food, or Worchestershire sauce to a bloody mary! Extra kick! Extra muscle!

In most cases, while it is capable of incredible finesse and elegance, it starts off as a killer, savage, godzilla, intense, teeth-enamel-stripping wine that absolutely needs years in the bottle, and hours in a decanter to relax and show itself. But let me tell you…when you do taste one that has opened up or softened up, you are in for the BIG SHOW. The Super Bowl. The World Cup. The Kick-ass Glass!

In a blend with Syrah, Grenache, and/or Mourvedre, this grape is the "salt to the margarita", the "rock to your casbah" (or your "amadeus!") Sardinian Carignans are deep, rich, plush, & dark….like black velvet, blue suede shoes, and a burgundy velour tracksuit rolled into one outfit.

Cinsault ("san-SOH"), on the other hand, is an easy-squeezy grape that lends softness and bouquet to red blends. It is most commonly found in the south of France, but is also well known for its role in the Frankenstein hybrid grape of South Africa called "Pinotage", which is a genetic blend of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Because of its resistance to drought, it is also found in Morocco, Lebanon, Syria, and the difficult agricultural areas of Australia.

Cinsault is often used in a blend to soften Carignan!

Could these two be more opposite??? Yet, they both play a vital role in creating the perfect recipe in blends of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cabernet, and other grapes, most notably in the Mediterranean world. If you're curious to try these grapes…especially from Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Morocco, Sardinia, and Spain…then you need to hop on a 14-day cruise, OR, simply come to "CLUB MED-iterranean" on February 28th, our version of traveling by featuring 24 wines (many with the C-grapes) from these regions. $33 to taste and take home educational wine literature. Click on http://www.vinoversity.com/social-tasting-events/tuesdays/

C you there!