January 22, 2025 – Cinsaut – formerly known as Hermitage – and Pinot Noir hold a significant place in the history of South African wine, being the two cultivars that were combined 100 years ago to create our signature Pinotage. Today, through the effort and dedication of winemakers, each can stand on its own as a single variety – albeit relatively conservatively within the greater wine landscape.
Because it is incredibly unfussy about the conditions in which it grows, Cinsaut was once the most commonly planted grape in South Africa, although it fell out of favour in the 1970s. Today, it is one of the smaller segments of the red wine category. Pinot Noir, however, has enjoyed much more attention over the years. While both varieties remain small in comparison to the growth we see in Chardonnay and Red Blends, they continue to take steady steps forward, and winemakers are investing in endearing Cinsaut and Pinot Noir to new audiences.
At a masterclass hosted by Vinimark Wine Training & Education Manager Ginette de Fleuriot, she noted the uptick in interest in less common varieties and lighter reds, including Grenache Noir and even scarcer varieties like Italian Barbera and Nebbiolo. Among them, Pinot Noir is best-known and loved, with Cinsaut slowly gaining traction.
‘The average wine drinker is looking for what they already know, making it less likely they’ll reach for a variety they haven’t tried before,’ says de Fleuriot. ‘But these small categories are seeing incremental growth as audiences become more educated and curious. Balance, poise, and brand strength are key ingredients for lighter reds to win over new palates.’
Readily available Cinsaut grapes thrive in varied climates, even surviving periods of drought. Historically, this has allowed winemakers to sell Cinsaut at a lower price point. At one stage, perceptions sank low enough to consider it ‘The Poor Man’s Poison’. Even today, it has yet to breach the R1 million mark in annual sales. But despite the small scale of the wine’s current success, there is great potential for sophistication and popularity in this varietal.
A top-tier Cinsaut is balanced and elegant on the tongue, pairs well with food, and is a sophisticated pour to include on a wine list. Allesverloren Viticulturist Fanie Malan reflects on the future possibilities: ‘Our country’s producers were the ones to revive Chenin Blanc as a single variety in the New World. While Cinsaut is still being overlooked, South African winemakers are in a position to be the ones to champion it. There is immense opportunity for us to build in this category.’
Allesverloren’s motion to elevate perceptions around Cinsaut has included a rebranding of its offering as Heritage Cinsaut to reflect the gravitas and precision behind its production. This award-winning wine showcases a different side of its potential, with a higher level of alcohol, and maturer grapes to create a fuller style. Malan also highlights the strong tannic structure of the variety which allows it to age with grace.
Already carrying a certain prestige is the equally light-bodied Pinot Noir, which maintains a strong association with its Burgundy origins despite being produced in nearly every international winemaking region. Its slow but steady local popularisation can largely be attributed to Pinot Noir festivals and sales at tasting rooms. This tells us that although consumers might not know the varietal, it only needs to be poured into their glass for them to fall in love with it.
But what is it that makes our Pinot Noirs so appealing? At its most award-worthy, this wine is lighter and more cherried than other red wines. It is high in acidity, lighter in colour, and lower in alcohol. As a whole, this style of wine is well-known for its typicity – the capacity to express the attributes of the terroir in which its grapes are grown.
Shannon’s Pinot Noir has noticeable hints of silicon quartz, a characteristic lovingly nicknamed ‘Elgin Grunt’ by those in the know. This distinct earthiness is also found in Newton Johnson’s 2022 vintage, accentuating the acidity of the wine’s notes of sour cherry. By contrast, Pinot Noirs by Creation Wines and Bosman Family Vineyards reflect the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley’s sandstone terroir, and the result is feminine, subtle and rounded, with an equally strong sense of place.
Heat can cause a spike in sugar, which can easily throw a lighter red wine out of balance. But winemakers from the warmer Stellenbosch region are proving that, in the right hands, their Pinot Noirs can have just as much elegance and flair as those from cool climate Elgin and the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. David Finlayson and Spier are just two of the many Stellenbosch producers making Pinot Noirs that are crisp and in balance, showing an impressive level of technical prowess and winemaking skill.
If a conversation with the winemaker and a visit to a tasting room are all that’s required to seduce a new audience into loving lighter reds, then it’s clear the addition of brand positioning and sampling activations can assist in accelerating the growth of these categories in consumer markets where immediate access to the farm of origin is not always possible. It’s exciting to consider the potential South African winemakers have to pioneer a resurgence of these lesser-known wines both in our own country and across the globe.
