| Pinotage | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 Pinotage wine from the Stellenbosch region | |
| Color of berry skin | Red |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Perold's Hermitage x Pinot |
| Origin | South Africa |
| Notable regions | Stellenbosch-Simonsberg, South Africa |
| VIVC number | 9286 |
Pinotage /ˈpɪnətɑːʒ/ PIN-ə-tahzh[1] is a red wine grape that is South Africa's signature variety. It was cultivated there in 1925 as a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut (Cinsaut was known as "Hermitage" in South Africa at that time, hence the name). It typically produces deep red varietal wines with smoky, bramble and earthy flavours, sometimes with notes of bananas and tropical fruit, but has been criticised for sometimes smelling of acetone.[2] The grape is a viticultural intraspecific cross of two varieties of Vitis vinifera, not an interspecific hybrid.
- ^ Random House Dictionary
- ^ Vines, grapes and wines (Rev. reprint ed.). Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1-85732-999-5.