Carignane is the most popular grape crop in France. Carignane is the American spelling of the grape name and the wine that is sold that is made from the grape. In France it is known as Carignan. In Italy it is called Carginano and in Spain it is known as Cannena or Mezeulo. The grape is sometimes grown in California but only as a medium for blending less acidic wines.
This is not an ancient wine crop in France. It was indigenous originally to Aragon, Spain. It did not become popular until the 1960s. It is a very regional fruit and is specifically confined to being grown in vineyards in southeastern France. The grape is mostly grown in the wine growing region of Laguedoc in Southern France.
Although it originated in Spain it was widely known as a crop in Algeria for centuries. The grape used to be only grown in Algeria but when Algeria separated from France and gained independence, French growers had to find another way to produce the grape. It took less than twenty years for the Carignane to become the country’s most planted grape.
In 1988 it was the most popular grape grown in France. The prominence of this alarmed French authorities who then paid wine growers to pull up the vines so that more indigenous vintage vines could survive. Once these vines were pulled, Merlot then became the number one grape in France.
This is a grape that is harvested late and that has a long growing season. Growers like it because it is frost resistant. However it is known in the last few decades for being a type of wine grape that is more vulnerable to growing green mildew and powdery mildew. It is also vulnerable to pests like grape worms.
Despite the fact that it is not the absolute hardiest of vines, it is a favorite grape in French vineyards because it is very prolific. An acre of Carignane can yield ten to twelve tons of grapes so it is very profitable to grow. The berries are quite large and almost black in color. It is a short stemmed grape that grows in compact clusters and it is also low maintenance because it is free standing grape. No arbors or trellises are required to support it. However as the grape has such as thick stalk it could never be mechanically harvested.
This is also a grape that has been endlessly cloned. There are over 25 clones that have been created from Carignane that are recognized by the French. As it is a grape that is grown through a long season it has a rich color, high acidity and tannins. It is very black in color and is added to other wines to deepen its color.
The older the vine is the tastier the Carignane wine is supposed to be. As it is so acidic it often becomes a wine that is blended with other wines or it is sold as cooking wine or as a less expensive house wine. In the French region of Langudoc this grape is usually blended with Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsaut, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Mourvedre.
In the seventies it was a grape that was also seen widely in the United States and it was used to make wines that were sold in boxes. This is because the grape was very high yield. There is also a rare mutation of this red grape called Carignane Blanc that is grown in select vineyards in France. The best varieties are still the red grapes that are grown on older vines in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. It is also sometimes found in wines that are made in China!
As it is one of those wines that is found on several different continents in the world it has many different names. In Spain it is known as Tinto Mazuelo, Crumillon, Samso, and Mazuelo. In Catalan the grape is called the Carinyena. The Portuguese name for the grape is Pinot Evara even though it has no relationship whatsoever to the Pinot family of grapes.
The French have many different names for Cariganne including Cargnane nor, Bois dur, Catalin Plant de Ledanon, and Monestal Roussilonen.
