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From Jamie Goode

Whether you call it Cinsault or prefer the variant spelling Cinsaut (both are OK, but I like the former best), there's no doubt that this once-neglected red variety is flavour of the month in South Africa. Back in the 1920s this grape variety made 75% of South Africa's red wines, but until recently it had been gradually diminishing in importance. From the 1970s onwards, winegrowers' heads were tilted by the Bordeaux varieties Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and these grapes were increasingly planted while Cinsault became unfashionable. Although not fantastically suited to the warm Mediterranean-style climate of the western Cape, these Bordeaux varieties produced dark-coloured, sweetly fruited wines that met the expectations of consumers, as the wine world became seduced by big red wines. 30 years of decline in Cinsault followed.