Pinotage [pee-noh-TAHJ]
A South African cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (which the South Africans call Hermitage, thus the derived name Pinotage). This red-wine grape was bred in 1925, but it wasn’t until wines made from Pinotage won awards in 1959 that it became popular. Pinotage is now extensively grown in South Africa with small amounts in California and New Zealand. The best examples of Pinotage wines are medium-bodied and subtly flavored—better than most Cinsaut wines but not as good as Pinot Noir.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.