Salade Nicoise
Herb notes and red fruit character are natural companions to the classic salad.
Our editors write the food pairings for every bottle we review. Grouped by kind of food, the Cinsault pairings come out like this, most frequent first. Each card names the bottle, so you can read the full tasting note before you cook.
90 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with vegetables and salads
Pissaladiere
Onion-and-anchovy tart finds a peer in the wine's blood orange and almond-paste register.
Aioli with seasonal vegetables
Garlic, olive oil and steamed vegetables ask for a structured rose; Pibarnon's body carries the meal.
Ratatouille Nicoise
Herb notes and fresh acidity complement the vegetable-rich dish.
Provencal vegetable tart
Wild-herb lift suits ratatouille-style flavours.
46 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with fish
Grilled red mullet
Tempier rose's saline core and herb edge mirror the iodine sweetness of mullet; the wine cuts through olive-oil cookery.
Grilled squid with garlic and herbs
High acidity and mineral freshness cut through squid richness.
Grilled tuna with tapenade
The rose's pink-grapefruit lift cuts through the olive paste, and Mourvedre tannin frames the dense tuna fat.
White tuna with anchovies
Spice and fine length meet meaty white tuna with savoury anchovy lift.
Grilled sardines
Classic Provencal combination; mineral dry rose and oily fish.
31 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with lamb
Roasted lamb with lavender
Lavender notes in the wine find an echo in the Provencal herb crust.
Roast leg of lamb with rosemary
Garrigue aromatics in the wine mirror the herb crust; Mourvedre's iron grip cuts through the fat.
Slow-braised lamb shanks
Las Flors' fine tannin carries the lamb fat.
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder
Pibarnon's blueberry and cocoa lift balance lamb's fat; firm tannins handle the long-cooked meat.
Tapenade on grilled bread with goat cheese
Mineral freshness and red fruit balance the salt of tapenade and tang of cheese.
Grilled lamb chops with rosemary
Old-vine Carignan structure meets grilled lamb; rosemary echoes the wine's garrigue.
30 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with oysters and shellfish
Bouillabaisse
Full-bodied dry Tavel rose is the traditional Provencal accompaniment to fish stew.
Grilled langoustines with garlic butter
Pibarnon rose's saline depth matches shellfish sweetness; the wine's acidity cuts through butter.
Lobster bisque
La Chapelle's wax and almond texture matches the rich shellfish soup; saline depth handles the meat.
Grilled langoustines
Direct-press rosé's pale fruit and saline finish carry shellfish.
Grilled prawns
Saignée rosé carries the shellfish without overpowering.
27 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with cheese
Aged Roquefort with quince
The salty-blue cheese finds counterpoint in the wine's warm-stone and red-fruit lift.
Aged Comte
Hazelnut and brown-butter notes in mature Comte align with the wine's leather and forest-floor depth.
Aged Comte cheese
The wine's warm-stone palate echoes the cheese's nuttiness.
Aged Banon cheese
Chestnut-leaf wrapped goat cheese picks up the wine's almond and rose hip register.
22 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with charcuterie and cured meats
Aged Pélardon
Concentrated fruit and silky tannin balance aged goat cheese.
Charcuterie board
Cracked pepper and fine tannin complement cured meats and saucisson.
Charcuterie platter
Fresh, dry Tavel is the Provencal aperitif rose par excellence.
Game pate with cornichons
Rustic charcuterie meets the wine's savoury depth; cornichon acidity refreshes between bites.
Charcuterie with cornichons
Salt-and-fat cured meats meet the rose's saline depth; cornichon acidity refreshes between bites.
17 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with beef and red meat
Daube provencale
Slow-braised beef in red wine and orange peel echoes the cuvee's dried-herb and leather register; firm tannins handle the long-cooked fat.
Beef daube with orange peel
Terrebrune's iron and rosemary mirror Provencal slow cooking; the wine's acidity refreshes between bites of long-braised meat.
Grilled entrecote
Full-bodied with good tannins; a reliable CDR for grilled beef.
Daube of beef with olives
The wine's warm spice and dark fruit pair with slow-braised beef.
Roast beef with herb crust
Mourvedre's spine carries the beef and the herb crust echoes garrigue.
11 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with chicken and white meat
Farm-raised poultry
Silky tannin and concentrated dark fruit handle farm chicken or guinea fowl.
Provencal roast chicken with garlic
Wild strawberry and garrigue notes work with the herb-and-garlic crust on slow-roast bird.
Roast capon with citrus
Buttery roast bird with bright citrus aligns with the rose's tangerine-saline register.
Grilled chicken with tarragon
Light rose with herb freshness pairs naturally with herb-roasted chicken.
9 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with game
Roast pigeon with foie gras
Light-to-medium-bodied Grenache elegance is a sommelier classic with pigeon.
Saddle of venison with juniper
The wine's garrigue and white pepper notes echo the gamy juniper register.
Wild boar civet
Provencal game stew finds a peer in Tempier's savoury fruit and pepper.
Wild boar stew with chestnut
Pibarnon's savoury herb register matches Provencal game stew; the wine's structure carries the long braise.
9 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with pasta, pizza and grains
Saffron paella
Mediterranean rice dish meets the wine's tangerine-saffron register and body.
Stuffed peppers with rice and herbs
Provencal vegetable classic with herb stuffing aligns with the rose's saline-rosemary depth.
Pasta with tomato sauce
Simple red fruit and herb character is perfect for tomato-based pasta.
7 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with duck and goose
Pan-fried duck breast
Red fruit and floral notes complement duck without overwhelming it.
Duck breast with juniper
The wine's myrtle and graphite notes echo the gamey-juniper register of seared duck.
Roast duck breast with cherries
The wine's red-fruit aromatics match the cherry sauce.
Confit duck leg with lentils
Duck fat and earthy lentils meet Mourvedre's iron and fennel-herb edge.
6 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with pork
Cassoulet Toulousain
Iron and herb notes complement the duck and pork of this Languedoc classic.
Cassoulet
The Languedoc classic pairs with Mas Conscience's structured red.
Roast pork with rosemary
Cinsault's fresh fruit and Carignan's herb register match the herbed pork.
Pork shoulder with rosemary
Bunan's thyme and smoke register matches herb-roasted pork; tannins handle the fat.
Roast pork loin with thyme
Souviou's thyme and smoke register matches herb-scented pork; tannins handle the fat.
3 Cinsault pairings
Cinsault with mushrooms and truffle
Hard pecorino with truffle honey
Cocoa and dark-fruit depth pair with aged sheep's-milk salt; the truffle adds umami the wine welcomes.
Wild mushroom tagliatelle
Earthy mushroom and wet-stone wine align on the forest-floor register; the wine's body carries cream sauces.
Mushroom-and-thyme tart
Earthy mushrooms echo the savoury character.
Taste it with the food in Provence
Food and wine tastings you can book in Provence, the region with the most Cinsault bottles on our pages that sells them.
AVIGNON ESSENTIALS: A Food and Wine First Taste
Looking for the ultimate first taste of Avignon’s food & wine? In just 3 hours, plunge into the heart of the historic City of the Popes through its iconic landmarks a...
Cheese and wine tasting at a fromagerie in Aix-en-Provence
Enjoy an immersive experience accompanied by an expert cheesemaker who will share his knowledge of the different types of French cheeses, from their production to thei...
Roman Heritage & Wine Legacy
The Perfect Combo: History Meets Grand Crus: This tour flawlessly combines culture and refined pleasures. Start with a guided tasting of premium wines at two Châteaune...
Wine tastings and winery visits in Provence (29) · Cooking classes in Provence (7) · Food tours in Provence (49) · Olive oil tastings and mill visits in Provence (12) · Wine tours with a boat trip in Provence (5) · Wine tours and day trips in Provence (70) · All wine and food experiences
Where the bottles come from
Cinsault pairings by region
- Provence (71 bottles), Provence food pairing
- Languedoc (14 bottles), Languedoc food pairing
- Rhone Valley (7 bottles), Rhone Valley food pairing
Cinsault food pairing, FAQ
What food goes with Cinsault?
Across the 92 Cinsault bottles on Cork & Curve, the dishes our editors pair most often are vegetables, fish and lamb. For example, our page for Domaine de la Mordoree La Dame Rousse Tavel from Rhone Valley suggests "Salade Nicoise": Herb notes and red fruit character are natural companions to the classic salad.
What cheese goes with Cinsault?
Cheeses our editors pair with Cinsault bottles include Aged Roquefort with quince, Aged Comte and Aged Comte cheese.
What meat goes with Cinsault?
Lamb is the pairing that comes up most among meats for Cinsault: Roasted lamb with lavender, Roast leg of lamb with rosemary and Slow-braised lamb shanks are among the dishes on our Cinsault bottle pages.