Summary:  Carignan is much maligned and seldom celebrated. Mediocre, rustic and dilute or concentrated, layered and charming ? Would the real Carignan please stand up ? It is true that Carignan would probably not feature in most people's Top 10 list of favourite grape varieties, but is that justified ? Why are some of the best estates in the Languedoc-Roussillon so keen on Carignan? What is the history and what are the characteristics of this often ridiculed grape

There have been moments in my career as a professional winophile where I’ve realized I haven’t retained a bit of information that perhaps I should have learned in grade school had I been paying attention. Everyone needs a refresher once in a while and this series of blog posts aims to fill in possible gaps of knowledge that your grade-school mind may not have realized you would use in your fabulous wine career. As an American student, French geography was sadly lacking in my education. An examination of the Massif Central (ma-seef cen-trale) was not taught alongside the study of The Rocky Mountains.