The Wine Reference🍷 SupportPinotage grape
Pinotage is a red grape known for blackberry, plum, smoke. Its best-known homes are South Africa.
Origin and history
Created in 1925 by Professor Abraham Perold at Stellenbosch University by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault, then known in South Africa as Hermitage.
Where it grows
South Africa (Stellenbosch, Swartland, Paarl, Walker Bay), with small plantings in New Zealand, Zimbabwe, California and Germany.
Structure
Medium to full body, deep colour, medium acidity and medium to high tannins.
Aromas, young and aged
Young: blackberry, black plum, mulberry, smoke and sometimes banana or coffee notes. With age: earth, leather, tobacco and dried fruit.
Ageing
Most best within 2–6 years; top examples, such as Kanonkop's, can age 10–20.
Good to know
Its name joins Pinot and Hermitage; the first commercial bottling was the 1959 Lanzerac, released in 1961, and 'coffee Pinotage' is a modern style.
Wine regions for Pinotage
Pinotage wines to try
Real bottles from The Wine Library.
Kanonkop Pinotage
Stellenbosch · Simonsberg-Stellenbosch · Pinotage
South Africa's own grape: mulberry, plum, smoke and spice.
Food: Braai, game
Similar red grapes
Explore all grapes in the interactive guide
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