Carignan: taste, styles and the dishes that match
13 styles and 365 dish scores from our sommelier database
Carignan is a red grape with a character of its own — and that character decides which dishes it shines with. Our sommelier database holds dozens of Carignan styles, each with its own Wine DNA profile, scored against hundreds of dishes. From to more surprising pairings: this is the complete guide.
Taste profile (Wine DNA)
Averaged across the styles in our database, Carignan shows fresh acidity, is full-bodied and clearly fruity, with soft tannins.
Well-known Carignan styles
- Carignan Southern Europe · Southern Europe — full-bodied, fresh acidity, firm tannins
Characterful red wine from old vines in southern France, Sardinia (Carignano) and Catalonia (Cariñena), showing dark berry fruit, garrigue and savoury spice. - Corbières · Languedoc-Roussillon — full-bodied, fresh acidity, firm tannins, subtle oak notes
Structured, characterful Languedoc red where Carignan traditionally forms the backbone alongside Grenache and Syrah. - Minervois · Languedoc-Roussillon — full-bodied, fresh acidity, firm tannins, subtle oak notes
Spicy, concentrated Languedoc red built on Carignan, Syrah and Grenache with ripe black fruit and Mediterranean herbs. - Priorat · Priorat — full-bodied, fresh acidity, firm tannins, generous oak ageing
Powerful, mineral and spicy red wine from llicorella slate soils made from old-vine Cariñena and Garnacha. - Côtes du Rhône Villages · Rhône Valley — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins
Full-flavoured, spicy southern Rhône blend in which Carignan contributes colour, backbone and fresh acidity. - Carignan · New World — full-bodied, fresh acidity, firm tannins, subtle oak notes
Ripe, juicy New World expression from old-vine Carignan (notably Maule Valley in Chile and California) with blackberry, plum and warm spice.
Price-wise Carignan focuses on the accessible and mid-range segments: of the 13 styles in our database, 46% sit in the entry segment and 54% mid-range. You will mainly find easy weekday bottles and approachable food wines for the table in this grape.
The best-scoring dishes with Carignan
The dishes below come from our expert scoring: every combination was scored by sommeliers using the Wine DNA of both dish and wine. These are the strongest matches for Carignan styles, from classic to surprising.
- — best style: Carignan Southern Europe
- — best style: Carignan Southern Europe
- — best style: Carignan Southern Europe
- — best style: Priorat
- — best style: Corbières
- — best style: Corbières
- — best style: Corbières
- — best style: Corbières
- — best style: Corbières
- — best style: Priorat
- — best style: Corbières
- — best style: Corbières
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Frequently asked questions
- What does Carignan taste like?
- Averaged across the styles in our database, Carignan shows fresh acidity, is full-bodied and clearly fruity, with soft tannins. It varies by style: see the overview above.
- What food goes with Carignan?
- The highest scores in our sommelier work: , Beef carpaccio, Steak tartare. The full list is above.
- Is Carignan a red wine?
- In our database Carignan is mostly made as a red wine (13 linked styles); regional exceptions exist.