Cinsault: taste, styles and the dishes that match
10 styles and 272 dish scores from our sommelier database
Say Cinsault and you say a red wine with recognisable traits. But there is no single Cinsault: acidity, body and aromas shift by region and style. That is why we work with Wine DNA profiles per style, scored against real dishes — with Grilled bergylt antiboise among the strongest matches.
Taste profile (Wine DNA)
Averaged across the styles in our database, Cinsault shows fresh acidity, is medium-bodied and exuberantly fruity, with soft tannins.
Well-known Cinsault styles
- Sparkling rose · World — light-bodied, pronounced freshness
Makkelijk drinkbare mousserende wijn met rood fruit en een tikje zoet. - Côtes du Rhône Villages · Rhône Valley — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins
Een vrij krachtige, soms kruidige rode wijn van blends met meestal de grenache-druivensoort. - Rosé · World — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness
Hogere kwaliteit rosé, geschikt en gemaakt om met eten samen te gaan: licht kruidig, met een goede structuur, een stevige zuurgraad en een zuiver roodfruitig karakter. - Pinotage · South-Africa — medium-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
Fruity red wine with fresh acidity from the indegenous south-african grapevariety by the same name. - Corbières · Languedoc-Roussillon — full-bodied, fresh acidity, firm tannins, subtle oak notes
A sturdy, distinctive red wine from Languedoc-Roussillon. - Côtes du Ventoux · Rhône Valley — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins
Spicy fruity red wine from Rhône variety blends, often with grenache. - Provence · Provence — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins
Fuller bodied, soewhat spicy yet supple red wines, generally from grape varieties from the Rhône region. - Gigondas · Rhône Valley — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
Spicy, ripe and fruity red wine from the Southern Rhône valley.
Price-wise Cinsault covers the full range: of the 10 styles in our database, 60% sit in the entry segment, 40% mid-range and 0% at the top end. You will find both a weekday bottle and a cellar-worthy wine in this grape.
The best-scoring dishes with Cinsault
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 Cinsault styles, from classic to surprising.
- Grilled bergylt antiboise — best style: Rosé
- Fried rabbit saddle with Provencal herbs — best style: Côtes du Rhône Villages
- Kernhem — best style: Rhône blend
- Kernhem Classique — best style: Rhône blend
- Le petit doruvael — best style: Rhône blend
- Petit doruvael — best style: Rhône blend
- Port salut — best style: Rhône blend
- Rump steak with mushrooms — best style: Cabernet Sauvignon
- Black pudding with apple — best style: Cabernet Shiraz
- Blood Sausage with Potatoes — best style: Cabernet Shiraz
- White pudding with fried in brown butter — best style: Cabernet Shiraz
- Fried Black Pudding with Quorn — best style: Cabernet Shiraz
Want to know if a specific bottle of Cinsault matches your dish? Scan the label in the SommelierX app and see the match instantly.
Open the app →Frequently asked questions
- What does Cinsault taste like?
- Averaged across the styles in our database, Cinsault shows fresh acidity, is medium-bodied and exuberantly fruity, with soft tannins. It varies by style: see the overview above.
- What food goes with Cinsault?
- The highest scores in our sommelier work: Grilled bergylt antiboise, Fried rabbit saddle with Provencal herbs, Kernhem. The full list is above.
- Is Cinsault a red wine?
- In our database Cinsault is mostly made as a red wine (10 linked styles); regional exceptions exist.